Shared Remains

Shared Remains explores the intersection between the natural world and human expansion through the use of two deer skulls connected at the antlers. Each skull represents a different environment and process: the nature-oriented skull was created using cyanotype, while the urban skull was created using Van Dyke printing. The contrasting photographic processes help separate the identities of the two forms while also emphasizing their relationship to one another.

The cyanotype skull contains imagery connected to nature and open landscapes, while the Van Dyke skull incorporates urban and man-made imagery. Rather than presenting these worlds as completely separate, I wanted the work to show how they continuously overlap and affect one another. Human infrastructure increasingly occupies natural environments, while nature still persists and reclaims space within urban settings.

The antlers act as the central point of tension and connection within the sculpture. Vines wrap outward from the natural skull while metal chain extends from the urban skull, physically intertwining the two forms. These materials symbolize both conflict and dependence: the organic growth of nature against the rigid, industrial structure of human development. By connecting the skulls together, the piece suggests that neither environment can exist untouched by the other.

Using deer skulls as the foundation for the piece adds another layer to the work. Bone acts as both a physical remnant of nature and a symbol of what is left behind as environments change over time. These processes created worn textures, imperfections, and areas of distortion that became important to the final result. The fragmented and weathered appearance of the transfers reflects the instability of the relationship between natural and urban spaces, while also giving the skulls the feeling of preserved artifacts shaped by both environments.