If I had a flower for every time I think of you

Kelda Van Patten

February 3 - 25, 2024

“Not knowing names can be disorienting. Names are the way we build relationships, not only with each other, but with other species. Philosophers call this state of isolation and disconnection, ‘Species loneliness,’ a deep unnamed sadness stemming from estrangement from the rest of creation, from the loss of relationship.” 

—Robin Wall Kimmerer, "Braiding Sweetgrass"

If I had a flower for every time I think of you presents Kelda Van Patten’s recent still-life photographs. Her new work references species loneliness, while also recounting glimpses of interaction and connection with both the animate and inanimate. For this exhibition, Van Patten utilizes cut-out photographs she took while an artist in residence in several diverse landscapes, including Jentel, in the Northern plains of Wyoming, and the Kala Institute, in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

In addition to photography and re-photography, Van Patten’s process involves layers of collage and drawing to form compositions where perceptions of reality and artifice are playfully shifted. Before digitalization, much of her work is done in front of a medium-format camera. As a final iteration for this series, she collaborated with artificial intelligence to include pollinators and protectors. Kelda approaches her work with surprise and curiosity. She strives to make photographs that exhibit discord and dissonance, celebrating what is both awkward and beautiful.

@keldavanpatten 

Supported in part by a generous grant from the Regional Arts & Culture Council.