A dark, smoky landscape with mountains in the distance and a cloudy sky.

Life | Force | Formation

A personal examination of Naturphilosophie

Naturphilosophie is a term that refers to a philosophical approach to the study of nature which emerged in the 18th and 19th centuries—put forth by a young philosopher named Friedrich Schelling. It was a response to the limitations of the mechanistic study of science which viewed nature as a collection of isolated parts and ignored the dynamic interplay of natural phenomena.

Central to Naturphilosophie are three key areas of study—gravity, light, and life. They are understood to be interconnected and mutually influencing of each other, rather than separate phenomena. It sought to understand the underlying principles that govern the emergence and evolution of life, as well as its relationship to the larger natural world. It represented a radical shift in the way that scientists and philosophers addressed the study of nature and sought to unite empirical observation with philosophical reflection, emphasizing the importance of holistic and intuitive approaches. It also allowed for a new concept to how one would experience nature; the idea that being in nature—rambling through a forest—was always also a self-discovery, a journey into oneself. It is suggested this is one of the first breaths of the modern environmentalism movement.

Naturphilosophie inspired the contemplation of my own self in the natural world and of the creation of "Life | Force | Formation.” While my work has always taken me to contemplative places in nature—whether it be the deserts of North Africa or the islands of the Pacific—there was always a focus on the history of the place in which I was working. With this project there is a deliberate establishment of visual isolating principles and a recognition of my own self-awareness in nature.

Schelling explains the point at which the self becomes aware of the world around it, “At the first moment, when I am conscious of the external world, the consciousness of my self is there as well, and vice versa—at my first moment of self-awareness, the real world rises up before me.” In fact, Schelling believed that because we are part of nature, an artwork produced by us is actually a reflection of nature. By recording what “rises up before me”—a process of isolating specific objects and expanses of nature—this new body of work is the examination of my presence in the landscape, a meditation on my existence within specific moments of nature whether they be close to home, far away, or even constructed.

A barren, rocky landscape with distant mountains and a clear sky.

Isolated stones

Black and white photograph of towering, jagged mountain peaks with a rugged, rocky foreground and partly cloudy sky.

Peaks

Close-up of dark, cooled lava with small light-colored sticks and organic matter.
Close-up of black volcanic rocks with patches of white lichen, intertwined with dry, stringy hair or fibers.

Nurture and nature

A small pyramid made of white wooden sticks on a dark surface.

Study of peaks, no. 1

A barren desert landscape with uneven ground and small rocks, dunes in the distance, and an overcast sky.
A barren desert landscape with rocky terrain and distant rolling hills under a clear sky.
A barren desert landscape with a single small tree in the distance and a cloudy sky.
A desert landscape with small bushes, rocky terrain, and rolling hills in the background under a clear sky.
A barren desert landscape with a lone bush in the middle, rocky ground, distant hills, and a clear sky.

Path to a photograph

Dark, dense forest with tall, intertwined trees and minimal light.

Shadows of trees

Several white rectangular and trapezoidal objects placed on a light gray wooden surface.

Study of trees, no. 1

A vast desert landscape with rocky terrain and distant mountain ranges under a cloudy sky.
A lone, rounded hill or mountain with a smooth surface and faint lines running down its side, set against a cloudy sky, in black and white.

Curvatures of light

Black and white photo of a mountain landscape with rocky slopes and a cloudy sky.

Shading with light and stone

An expansive, flat salt flat with a white, textured surface. The sky is overcast with gray clouds, and there is a faint horizon line in the distance.

lntersecting lines

Photo of sand dunes in a desert with smooth, sweeping curves and layered ridges under a cloudy sky.
Desert landscape with rolling sand dunes under a cloudy sky
Dune landscape with sand dunes and cloudy sky, black and white photograph.

Shaped by wind

A lone, twisted, and gnarled tree standing in a foggy, barren landscape, with sparse grass and distant trees faintly visible in the background.

Isolating a tree

Black and white photo of ocean waves crashing against rocks on the shoreline with a distant, calm sea and cloudy sky.
A coastal scene in black and white, featuring waves crashing onto the rocky shoreline and a large rock formation in the water.
Black rock in ocean with waves crashing against it, cloudy sky in the background.
Black and white photo of a rocky shoreline with waves crashing against rocks, and the ocean extending into the horizon under a cloudy sky.
View of rough ocean waves crashing against dark rocks on the shoreline, with a cloudy sky in the background.
A large rock in the ocean with waves crashing against it, extending into the horizon under a cloudy sky.
A large dark rock in the water near the shore, with waves crashing around it. The ocean extends to the horizon under a cloudy sky.
Ocean waves crashing against rocks on a gray overcast day.
Dark ocean water with white foamy waves crashing near rocks, under a cloudy sky

Watching waves crash

View of tall grasses and trees in a forested area.

How light falls

A dark dirt dobber nest with holes, placed on a light-colored wooden table.
A square wooden table with a pile of broken rocks or clay pieces on it, set against a plain background.
A wooden table with scattered gray chalk pieces on top, positioned on a brown carpeted floor.
A dirt dobber with transparent wings perched on a white rectangular object on a wooden table.

Study of dirt dobber nest

A large boulder in a forest with trees and rocks surrounding it, captured in black and white.

Weight of a boulder

A vast, flat salt flat under a cloudy sky, with distant hills on the horizon.
A vast, flat salt flat under a cloudy sky, with distant hills on the horizon.
Dried salt flat landscape with textured ground and cloudy sky.

Centered lines

Black and white photo of a forested shoreline with trees leaning towards the water, driftwood on the sand, and a distant tree-covered hill under a cloudy sky.

Study of gathering, no. 2

Close-up view of dark volcanic rocks with white mineral deposits and sparse dry grass.
A collection of smooth, rounded gray and dark stone rocks of various sizes, some with patches of white lichen or mineral deposits.

Natural contrast

Overcast sky with gray clouds over a calm body of water, with a small strip of land in the distance.

Falling sky