Phantoms on Parade presents a compelling visual narrative that confronts the devastating effects of chemical pollution, emphasizing the alarming decline in pollinator populations and the rapid disappearance of their habitats. Through the manipulation of the photo-reactive chemistry, combined with the lumen printing process, my work illustrates the chemicals that are actively eroding away at our planet’s biodiversity. The ominous black rectangles in the backgrounds of each composition serve as a grim metaphor for the bleak, unknown future that pollinators face if our current trajectory of environmental degradation continues. Haunting “phantom flowers” emerge from the deliberate use of negative space, serving as a visualization of what we stand to lose. Each piece is delicately crafted using watercolor and photographic papers and held together with specimen pins, evoking the meticulousness of scientific study and the fragility of the subject.

Process: Cyanotype on 1999 Kodak Polycontrast III photo and Canson watercolor papers.