destiny manifest

artist statement:

The series Destiny Manifest is a social commentary on human endeavor’s impact on the natural world. The juxtaposition of imagery forces the viewer to reconcile the age old struggle between that which is wild and that which is urban.

In 1804, Lewis & Clark set out with the Corps of Discovery to chart the vast American continent west of the Mississippi in an effort to find an in-land route to the Pacific. Under the guises of Manifest Destiny, European settlers forced their way West, subjecting all that was in between to the will of a new nation.

As that expedition nears its bicentennial, this series alludes to what has been lost. What began as a pristine landscape, often has ended in blistering industrial decay. Like nostalgic reminiscence of a by-gone era, the black and white landscapes beckon us as if to say in time this too may be lost.

Like the giant billboards that are strewn from coast to coast across the landscape, text has been imbedded into the images as if to advertise the obvious demise that may be the ultimate destiny of unchecked consumption and destruction.