Some Lumens I Made From Organic Matter I Collected in the Hour Before The Storm Began

My family and I made it out of Asheville to Dallas, stopping in Charlotte for wrist surgery before we flew. We had tickets to Texas already for the jazz festival. I’m still in shock from what happened to Western NC. Jill Enfield, my first platinum-palladium teacher was supposed to stay with us on Friday before she went to Penland. She called Wednesday and asked if she could come in three hours. I had no idea how bad it would be, but I wanted to get my homework done before she arrived. I rushed out before the rain started and collected all this organic matter from the trails in the mountains in my neighbourhood and made these lumens. I have no idea what the area looks like now-what life forms were washed away and what fungi are springing up in their place. When my wrist heals, I want to make lots of plant based records of this region. My heart is breaking for the loss of people and all life forms. I know the fungi will make way for new beginnings, but it is going to take a long time. These images seem so eerie to me now. The one with a human face is from a photo of my father as a young philosopher. He believed in a rhizomatic philosophy of life instead of a top down authoritarian approach. I couldn't agree more. Storms like this show us how need to help each other, no matter what labels we apply to our beliefs or orientations. We are all humans. Hug someone near you. We need to work together to heal the Earth and ourselves. Can’t type much due to my wrist, so the rest are photos.