Atoms and Leaves
In gender therapy, there is a thought experiment commonly given to patients considering gender affirmation surgery. They are asked to imagine recovering somewhere separated from society, on an island or in the woods or wherever they choose, and to think about how they would feel in their new body. The client's answer doesn't necessarily indicate whether medical transition is the right choice, but rather as a tool meant to encourage reflection on their relationships with their body and society.
I built the foundations of Atoms and Leaves on this thought experiment, photographing across remote western landscapes as I recovered from top surgery. My work is a window into a utopian possibility where transness and nature are reconnected. It was important the pieces were made with reused or found materials- not only because it’s a potential solution for our current ecological crisis, but also because resculpting available material is a very trans gesture.
I was able to repurpose most of the installation materials. All the glass and wood was reclaimed.
Installation in Harris Gallery, 2024
To print my pictures, I separate the cyan, magenta, and yellow layers of the original image. Then I make a cyanotype on glass of each layer and tone them to match their correct color.
Sampson separated layers
I do this as an alternative to printing with paper and toxic color chemicals.
Untitled
Lightbox I from Harris Gallery Installation, 2024
Stump Splash
Searching Person