INGRID WEYLAND
Ingrid Weyland's photograph Topographies of Fragility XXV features in Ten Photographs, a group exhibition, opening First Thursday, April 3 from 6 - 8 pm. The exhibition runs until Saturday, April 19.
My series, Topographies of Fragility, evolved from my attraction to surreal landscapes where the presence of humans seems not to exist. Immersing oneself in the majestic scale of nature erases all sense of time and place. For myself, and many, they create an emotional haven, a place for connection, contemplation, and introspection.
I enter a private sanctuary, one seemingly pristine and immaculate, where I become aware of a fragile balance between vulnerability and resilience. We know the force of natural occurrences, such as floods, drought, hurricanes, and wildfires accompanying cyclical regeneration. We witness the consequences of destruction yet acknowledge the powerful force of hope that comes with change.
My work began with photographing the landscapes I was privileged to experience from Cape Horn to the Arctic. I was compelled to convey to viewers the evocative emotional response I felt, so once back in my studio, I sought a way to express the enormity of my lived experience through my work.
It was in an attempt to minimize my selections—by throwing away discarded prints—that I suddenly realized the act of crumpling my works on paper had taken on the role of symbolizing our human manipulation of nature. My images are possible as they exist on the pulp of paper that was once a tree. The crumpled paper performs the role of metaphor, embodying the relationship between material and meaning. In a similar way that a photograph has a causal link to the real world, the crumpled paper performs the role of humankind’s causal link with the environment. Just like footprints in the sand, the creased paper represents our destructive marks on the landscape.
My sculptural forms became an innovative approach to opening a conversation about the impact of human forces on nature. By twisting and manipulating my prints, I perform a means of violence to the photographic image and the subject it captures—the landscape itself. It at times feels like a tribute and a possible farewell to the emotional havens these places provide.
Through this series, I invite viewers to reflect on our fragile yet resilient relationship with the land. While we shape nature, it, in turn, shapes us. My intention is to spark awareness of this interdependence, encouraging a deeper recognition of our essential alliance with the environment. Once crumpled, my print will always bear its marks, our Earth will retain our actions too. Nature is revealing its delicate balance in ways we cannot ignore.
The consequences of our relationship with nature transform our world—physically, economically, and socially. In the aftermath of destruction, ecosystems regenerate, and life finds a way to restore balance and heal. Through conscious action, care, and renewed respect, we can begin to rebuild our relationship with the Earth. How can we foster a future led by harmony, a journey towards restoration that we forge by our actions today? - Ingrid Weyland
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