Flora is a collection of five photographs drawn from a long, solemn walk through the corridors and grounds of San Francisco's infamous prison, Alcatraz. I am still fascinated, as many are, by the weight of the structure, the sounds of metal, concrete, strange forms, repeated lines, cold surface, flickering yellow lights, and unforgiving, confined spaces. More than this, however, I am enamored by the flora of the island, the pristine gardens and variety of plant life surrounding the prison, all tended by those incarcerated years ago. 

In this work, plant life from alcatraz has been photographed and placed together with the female figure on linen cloth, representing the woman as object and specimen. I am investigating the curious and fantastical concept of the ideal woman, her form, figure, and fragile beauty. Each woman is represented as an icon, religious in nature, staged, and doll-like. With continued growth and new life surrounding each figure, I hope to suggest renewal, re-invention, and resilience. Flora is an illustration of perception, perfectionism, and confinement, coupled with an earnest celebration of the woman, her nature, and her continued strength.