Joshua White « Muybridge's Horse

Joshua White

I was attracted to Joshua White’s project, A Photographic Survey of the American Yard, when he first emailed me about it, but I really fell in love with the impressively comprehensive series while compiling images for this post. The survey consists of over 400 images, all cataloging the various flora and fauna of the typical backyard. Some of the objects and creatures look otherworldly, some insanely beautiful once you really focus in and notice its detail the way White has. As you can imagine, it was hard to chose my favorites, but of course I love the pictures of strange critters, living (?) and dead. I also appreciate the images’ consistency; all made on an iPhone, the parameters for the image-making vary little. In fact, noticing the subtle differences from older images to newer ones is part of the project’s charm, I think.

Also, count your lucky stars if you’ve never seen that adorable insect in the featured image known as the camel cricket. Truly terrifying; they live in my basement.

From the artist’s statement: This series started as an exploration of the plants, insects, and animals found in my immediate area. I am using my iPhone to capture these images, and all the editing takes place on the phone. Originally these images seemed like a diversion from my greater body of work dealing with memory and loss, but now it seems, as always seems to be the case, they fit right in.

My mother tells me I used to lay on my stomach and watch ants in the grass. I also remember catching June bugs off of her wild roses in a styrofoam cup. And I remember finding box turtles, and waiting to hear the cicadas come out in summer, and getting tobacco juice from a grasshopper on my fingers, and catching lightning bugs in a pickle jar. My hope is these images make you think on those times, too.

*Through the first week of June, posts are of submitted work and are scheduled, as I am away for my wedding and honeymoon!*