Macchia Siciliana
A series of unique gum bichromate photograms created in Sicily, 2019. "Macchia Mediterranea" is a term that refers to the typical Maquis or shrubland biome of the arid and rocky coastal Mediterranean region. The word "macchia" in Italian has many meanings, including: stain, stroke, rough, taint, mark, blemish, dishonor, or disgrace.
The macchia mediterranea is often flowered, gnarled, thorny, intoxicatingly aromatic, and enchanting. I use these locally sourced plants with gum bichromate and the sun to stain the paper with pigment, leaving layers of silhouettes where each specimen was placed. While gathering these specimens and developing each impression, I am also changing color in the sun, and my skin turns the color of the parched land, and I feel a return to my roots. The longer I am exposed to this environment, the deeper the environment is imprinted upon me.