When the Bubble Breaks

My family has had roots in this land since 1913.  Community stories and photographs from that time preserve the environmental changes. In my memory, water has always been a concern.  I remember it raining so hard that my father called them "gulley washers" or "toad stranglers."  These storms saturated the earth until the creeks flooded the road and water fell over the mesa's rim.  But every abundant season seems to be followed by drought, with the sun and wind pulling moisture from the earth until it cracks.  As time continues, I see these drastic forces opposing each other more and more.

This body of work began as a fun project to pursue while visiting the arid desert of my childhood home. However, as I created these images, I saw the hint of something more. In their iridescent beauty, bubbles embody the essence of water—purity and playfulness. In contrast, the drought-scarred landscape is a stark counterpoint to the vitality that bubbles represent. These translucent vessels contained the delicate balance between abundance and scarcity, symbolizing the fragile nature of resources. Through this interplay of contrasts, I invite viewers to reflect on the impermanence of natural beauty and resources and our collective responsibility for their preservation.