Natalie Michelle
My body of work, although rooted in photography, consists of diverse material explorations
including the use of found objects and performance. My practice often revolves around the
concept of instability, whether it be in terms of mental health or our current environmental crisis,
and seeks an empathic approach to destructive human tendencies. I examine the environment as
both cathartic and chaotic in relation to climate grief.
Lately, I have been thinking more about how to continue a material-based practice in a more
socially and environmentally conscious way, and reflecting on what my responsibilities are as an
artist living in the Anthropocene. I have been reflecting on my relationship to water, as well as
photography’s relationship to water, and how closely entwined the ocean can be to climate
solutions.
I often question what most of us consider to be habitable versus inhabitable, and the varying
mindsets that influence us to favor particular open or closed spaces. In addition to expanding my
understanding of contemporary art and pushing the boundaries of what a photograph can be, I’m
interested in deconstructing how we weigh in on the concept of home – whether it is a physical
space or simply a sense of belonging – and how we destroy things just as easily as we build
them.