Theory of Place

Often, we introduce ourselves by where we come from or where we live, and sometimes, by where we do not. Our environment influences our identity. Inversely, we define locations by giving names to them. The aura of a place is tethered to both physical and cultural perceptions, but what happens when this delicate balance is altered and that tether is warped or frayed at the edges?

Camilo Ramirez’s series “The Gulf” explores the history and culture of the Gulf of Mexico through the exploitation of natural resources, the storied iconography of the region, and the ever-present economic dependency on the very industries altering the landscape. Marcus DeSieno examines the concept of place from a perspective that few people have access to: from behind the watchful eye of surveillance cameras. The artist explores how our complicit, and complicated, relationship with the idea of place has changed due to technologies ingrained position in modern society.

In “The Rock’s Rotation” Justin James Reed portrays our ever-changing natural environment through exploration and observation. The resulting work is ethereal imagery of calm landscapes intertwined with a deep primal spirituality. While a place might commonly be thought of as a physical space, more than an idea, Courtney Johnson deconstructs this notion. Johnson looks beyond these contemporary trappings, to the nexus of internal collapse and celestial rebirth. Her beautiful images begin life as hand-painted negatives on glass, using dyes from natural elements, and ultimately take the shape of supernatural cosmic images.

Marcus DeSieno | Courtney Johnson | Camilo Ramirez | Justin James Reed.