Recently, I’ve been making a lot of updates to my gallery site, Carol’s Little World. As part of this, I’ve been adding some artist statements. While writing text to accompany my work is not something I always do, I do try to get something out there that works, especially since a lot of folks like to read these things in gallery settings and the like. In the past, I had written one for my “Poetry of Ice” series but put off doing one for my “Borrowed Garden” work. With the recent updates, it was time to change all of that. Without further ado, here is my statement.
A Borrowed Garden
I kill them all.
The tiny ones, the little ones, the big ones. There was even a big tall one that looked like it was going to make it there for a while but, nope, killed it too.
It’s not that I set out to murder them, no, it just sort of happens. They get in the way. I give them too much attention. They can’t seem to face the right way. Sometimes, it’s neglect, I admit. I just forget about them and then, when I check in on them again, they’re gone. It’s not that I don’t try to keep them alive, there’s just something in me. I just can’t seem to let them live.
You could call me a plant murderer and you would not be wrong about that for, indeed, I do seem to have a black thumb when it comes to the art of gardening. While I love nature, being in the garden, enjoying the outdoors, and all, I just can’t seem to keep any plants near me alive. Perhaps it’s some kind of genetic defect or more likely I just don’t know what I’m doing when it comes to plants. I am horticulturally challenged, I must confess.
This is how the concept of a ‘Borrowed Garden’ started. I knew I wanted a space where I could go, to enjoy the garden, to visit with the plants, but I didn’t want to continue the death spiral. Luckily, there is a garden center near my home. Really a botanical sanctuary of sorts, it’s a place where plants flourish. They come alive across the various seasons and they thrive in the environment there. It’s a place where I frequently visit. My borrowed garden has fish ponds, and pottery, water gardens, and cactus – it all grows in the ‘Borrowed Garden,’ alive and well, safe from the clutches of my black thumb.
As a photographer, the concept of a ‘Borrowed Garden’ is a space where it’s not a personal garden, no, it’s a place you share with others. In just the same way you might checkout a book from your local library and borrow the book, the borrowed garden is a small patch of plants, flowers, and trees that you borrow, much to your delight. When you need a break from the trials of life, you can borrow the garden, only to return it to its rightful owner at some point in the future. Time spent in the borrowed garden is rejuvenating, it replenishes the well, refills the soul. It’s a quiet tranquil place, albeit one that is shared and tended by many hands. The best part? You can always return it untouched while it leaves its mark on you, replenishing you in the process.
At first, as I was exploring my ‘Borrowed Garden’ I set out to photograph it in detail. Rather than showcasing the entire garden, I wanted my ‘Borrowed Garden’ series to reflect that fact that the garden is in fact a shared space. Almost akin to a voyeur, my vision for the work was to take snippets and detailed views from the garden, to showcase small corners and hidden areas in the space, to make it feel as if you were sneaking a peek at a place in which you did not belong. Over time, as I grew deeper into the project, I started to incorporate more a more wider view of the garden, but the concept remains the same. My ‘Borrowed Garden’ is like a secret little corner of nature where you can replenish your soul.
“The master of the garden is the one who waters it, trims the branches, plants the seeds, and pulls the weeds. If you merely stroll through the garden, you are but an acolyte.”
― Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration
Over time, I will probably refine this a bit more, but it’s good to have something down for starters. If you are an artist or just want to leave any feedback for my statement, please either leave a comment or drop me a note.
Until next time…
