| Photography is essentially a way for me to pay homage to nature, as an Ode to Mother Nature, an expression of my appreciation and growing concern for her as time goes by, and as we witness her depletion. It is also a way for me convey certain thoughts, feelings, and emotions. On my trips into the high Andean plains of the Northwest of Argentina (NOA), although my experiences were initially physical—from lack of oxygen, the extreme temperatures and ten-hour long drives a day—they rapidly became overridden by the emotions. The awe-inspiring immensity of the place was humbling, enhancing the sense of my own vulnerability. The heavenly colors and light were paradisiacal; I felt closer to heaven. These are the kind of sentiments I aimed to communicate with my somewhat mystifying images. |  |
Emma Livingston
Photography is essentially a way for me to pay homage to nature, as an Ode to Mother Nature, an expression of my appreciation and growing concern for her as time goes by, and as we witness her depletion. It is also a way for me convey certain thoughts, feelings, and emotions.
On my trips into the high Andean plains of the Northwest of Argentina (NOA), although my experiences were initially physical—from lack of oxygen, the extreme temperatures and ten-hour long drives a day—they rapidly became overridden by the emotions. The awe-inspiring immensity of the place was humbling, enhancing the sense of my own vulnerability. The heavenly colors and light were paradisiacal; I felt closer to heaven. These are the kind of sentiments I aimed to communicate with my somewhat mystifying images. With the Secret Garden series, taken in the Ecological Reserve of Buenos Aires, which was originally a pile of demolition rubble then left to its own fate as nature took over, I was faced with a more personal sentiment. It reminded me of feelings I had as a child when passing by a woodland, often wondering what it would be like inside—the smells, the sounds, the life, its story. I find the foliage with the dark shadowy areas beyond conjure up particular fears and dreams at the same time. In the Tree Portrait series, I observed certain parallels between the trees and us: their individuality, personality, as well as a sense of fate, how they are destined to grow or not, flourish or suffer, and ultimately die within our urban environment of concrete walls and pollution.
My intention with my work, however, is not as much to share my own feelings but rather to let the viewer experience his or her own. I do not want to impose, if not offering the viewer an opportunity to experience these moments with the landscape, woodland, bushes, or trees, and let whatever thoughts, feelings, and emotions come to the surface. I believe that in this rushed world it is essential to take a moment to pause in front of a landscape and reflect on what it represents to us as individuals and as a whole.
