Through ages of time, we have sought to express our inner dialogue. Impressions, memories, and emotions were expressed on flat stone surfaces before written language was fully developed. This thoughtful, active process connects us, on a global scale, to our ancestors, contemporaries, and future generations. Visual expression is a language easily understood by any culture at any point in time.

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I began this project as my ancestors once did and used the same materials. Foraging to make pulp for paper, adding pigments, shaping, and sculpturing fibers, connected me both to the earth and to those who have done so before me in an especially meaningful way. I wandered untethered with no preconceived idea or process.

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An awakening and a brightening began. Hues emerged. Light danced across the clear, open waters. I experienced a deep, restorative breath. We are all capable of profound insight. The ability to see beyond the surface is readily within our grasp. All around us, pulsing with rhythmic exuberance is our direct link to discovery. This human-nature connection is our universal language.

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‍About

Karen Olson is a lens-based artist working at the intersection of human emotion and the natural world. She uses concept-based projects to explore the human-nature connection and its role in fostering mental health and communication. She seeks an open dialogue with subjects such as grief, trauma, empathy, and forest bathing. Karen illustrates these multi-sensory experiences with two and three-dimensional works, creating intimate and immersive landscapes.

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https://www.karenolsonphotography.com