Burn and Fade, 2017-ongoing

Sunspots and Slides, 2017-ongoing, archival pigment prints or sub-dye aluminum prints, sizes vary

Burn and Fade, part of an ongoing body of work titled “Good Luck with the Sun”, focuses on the sun as both a subject and creative tool to reflect upon our dual relationship with our greatest energy source - essential for life on this planet while also, a potential threat of destruction.

This series involves placing images of the sun (snapshots, 35mm slides, and home movies) directly in the hot Texas sun. Over the course of a summer, these become faded by the UV light and burned or damaged by the extreme heat. Before leaving them out, I mask select parts of the image to reveal a before-and-after effect. At times, I treat the images with products like Coppertone Suntan Oil or Sun-In Hair Bleach. Film trademarks, timestamps, and handwritten inscriptions often remain as part of the final work to highlight the photographic object and its ability and limitations to preserve a moment in time. As a result, the title Burn and Fade, refers to my materials, process, and the words we often use to describe memory, while also alluding to the grim reality that our planet may not have a forever.

*Images printed as archival pigment prints and sub-dye aluminum prints. Sizes vary. *To see more from this series, please contact artist directly.