Project Statement
Most storm water runoff is considered waste; yet more than 700 cities reclaim wastewater and storm water, recycling it for agricultural uses and even drinking water. As we mimic nature and separate the impurities like sludge or salt or chemicals, something magical happens. I am interested in bringing attention to the visual and ecological beauty of this transformation by showing the structures and processes that most people do not even think about. It matters less what each structure I photograph really is used for, or whether the water in my pictures is pure or waste. I am attracted instead to the strangeness of these forms and the distorted sense of scale. I like the idea of moving beyond mere description, embracing the abstract and at times surreal landscape of water transformation. The State of Water continues my longstanding attention to our relationship with nature; how we appreciate and accommodate it, and how it accommodates us. My intent is to reveal the beauty in all states of water from sludge to pure; and advocate for our need to conserve and reclaim our most valuable resource.