Reflection
Looking back at my initial concept for this project, I have noticed a dramatic shift. I began documenting how nature overcomes man, then how they interact. Now, I’m observing how humans interact with nature.
On my final trip to South Congress, I began to experience difficulty with finding the subjects I fixated on initially. Therefore, I decided that I must seek an alternative path on which to grow. I decided to document how humans supplement natural imagery back into a manmade environment. I had to choose an alternative path in which to grow, much as plants do when they grow. Aside from the planters, esplanades, and trees that create the framework of SoCo, I noticed an abundance of fake plants. I’ve always believed that fake plants and silk flowers were an odd concept. Especially fake cacti, as organic cacti are extremely difficult to kill.
There’s a somewhat comical effect that comes with fake plants. To me, fake plants play on the dependence on convenience that characterizes humans. Yes, we love beautiful flowers and foliage, yet we don’t love the care and dedication that maintaining that beauty requires. If it’s easy, we want it. There is a noticeable difference between the interaction of plants and manmade structure and the interaction of humans with natural structures. Organic material overcomes manmade structures, while humans create an alternative to natural structures.
Not only did I focus on fake organic structure, but I also explored how humans integrated images of nature into design and decoration. I found everything from graphics of butterflies and roses, to live fish being used as a “conversation piece” in a boutique.
Contact Sheets
Favorite Images
These few were my favorites because they captured the exact subject that I desired. They capture the use of fake organic structures, along with the integration of natural patterns in manmade structures.
Artificial cactus pictured by a mannequin wearing a floral print dress in storefront window.
Fake cacti picture beside a floral print dress in a storefront window
Fake flowers in a storefront window.