“Nibbled” is a raw exploration of salt and silver printing. It began as an experiment, creating photograms with leaves foraged from my immediate surroundings. I started by brushing chemistry onto paper and, once dry, explored nearby foliage for compelling subjects. In the early stages, I simply gathered whatever seemed likely to produce an interesting impression. This period of experimentation helped me learn to control a new medium. Gradually, the work moved beyond the playful exercises and began to take on a deeper, conceptual meaning.
My focus shifted to leaves that had been partially consumed by insects and slugs. These leaves carry a history of interaction, their surfaces marked by traces of life. The intricate patterns left by an insect’s feast—jagged edges, punctured holes, and wandering trails—became my true subjects. What first appeared as damage revealed itself as something else entirely: an unintentional collaboration between plant and insect, an etching on a living canvas. Each pattern is unique, a distinct signature, much like a snowflake, and a visual record of both presence and absence. To better understand the marks, I began identifying the plants and, in some cases, the insects responsible for them. This research allowed me to connect specific species with the plants they consumed. Unlike my usual photographic process, which captures fleeting moments with a lens, this method requires patience and attentiveness. It demands that I slow down, move through the environment with intention, and seek out objects that already hold their own narratives. Through the salt and silver process, I can preserve these delicate interactions. “Nibbled” invites viewers to see them in a new perspective—as studies in form, absence, and the hidden beauty within life’s most unassuming exchanges.
