Artist Statement
Carmen's practice begins in the garden, among flowers cultivated and observed through the changing seasons. Working primarily with botanical subjects and controlled light, the artist is drawn not to ideals of perfection but to moments of transformation: the subtle shifts of form, gesture and atmosphere that occur as flowers move through their life cycle.
Through close observation and carefully constructed compositions, familiar botanical forms are gradually separated from their descriptive function and allowed to exist as sculptural, expressive presences. Darkness plays an active role within the images, concealing as much as it reveals and creating space for ambiguity, tension and contemplation.
While rooted in photography, the work extends beyond documentation. Flowers are approached not merely as symbols of beauty, but as living forms shaped by time, impermanence and continual change. The resulting images explore the relationship between fragility and resilience, presence and disappearance, recognition and abstraction.
Materiality is central to the practice. Each photograph is produced as an archival pigment print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308, a museum-grade cotton paper selected for its depth, tonal subtlety and tactile qualities. The print is considered the final expression of the work, intended to function as an object of quiet presence rather than a purely digital image.
As the practice continues to evolve, the work increasingly moves toward abstraction and visual ambiguity. Carmen is particularly interested in the point at which a flower begins to lose its familiarity and becomes gesture, shadow, movement or memory.
Through close observation and carefully constructed compositions, familiar botanical forms are gradually separated from their descriptive function and allowed to exist as sculptural, expressive presences. Darkness plays an active role within the images, concealing as much as it reveals and creating space for ambiguity, tension and contemplation.
While rooted in photography, the work extends beyond documentation. Flowers are approached not merely as symbols of beauty, but as living forms shaped by time, impermanence and continual change. The resulting images explore the relationship between fragility and resilience, presence and disappearance, recognition and abstraction.
Materiality is central to the practice. Each photograph is produced as an archival pigment print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308, a museum-grade cotton paper selected for its depth, tonal subtlety and tactile qualities. The print is considered the final expression of the work, intended to function as an object of quiet presence rather than a purely digital image.
As the practice continues to evolve, the work increasingly moves toward abstraction and visual ambiguity. Carmen is particularly interested in the point at which a flower begins to lose its familiarity and becomes gesture, shadow, movement or memory.
