The making of Tornado

Tornado, is a stylized storm out of which comes destruction, chaos, and transfixing beauty.

With this installation, my intention was to dispel any artifice or illusion, and expose the delirious inners of the tornado when viewed up close.

Tornado encapsulates all of the materials previously used in the String series, a codas.

I created Tornado  in a small studio across from Denver’s National Stock Show complex. This installation was the genesis of two ideas: first wanting a wrap up the use of the device of string while having the camera set up from a one-point perspective. Second, having had an upcoming show deadline (Tempest) inspired by my time living on the Colorado front range.

Seeing tornadoes for the first time and first hand was equally mesmerizing as it can potentially be devastating. The monsoon season in the front range was a time of the year I used to look forward to and I greatly miss now.

It was my hope that Tornado would have the viewers feel like they were walking into the installation itself, disoriented and transfixed. To achieve this effect, I had the image printed 60 x 48 inches format and displayed, unframed, right up against the gallery wall.

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