Brooks Dierdorff
Monday, 4 March 2013
Work from his oeuvre.
“Through the media of photography and video, I interpret the physical and psychological encounters between man and the natural world. Humans seek connection with nature and claim to be its guardians, while at the same time perpetuate its destruction. In my work I confront this contradiction in order to understand it. An interesting and complex relationship with nature exists between nature and hunting culture. Hunting can be the epitome of our oppositional relationship with nature, but it can also represent a communion with nature. For example, in order to get close enough to an animal to kill it, hunters often imitate the sounds and smells of that animal. The relationship of hunters to nature can range from killing only animals that they eat, to protecting land from encroachment so it is available for hunting purposes, to affirming their dominance by killing animals, and everything in between. Hunting can express both an opposition to and an integration with nature all at the same time.” – Brooks Dierdorff