Series: The Mountains of East Texas... (There are no mountains in East Texas)

In my photographic study -- inspired by Edward Burtynsky’s beautiful images of mining operations – my surreal images of “the mountains of East Texas,” stylized by light painting, limited perspective, and post-processing are actually… piles of mud from surface mining – most no more than 10 feet high! This is meant to challenge the viewer to question the reality and meaning of one’s observations. Indeed, there are hints throughout the pictures that things may not be what they seem (e.g., in one shot, the “tree-like” object protruding from the “peak” is actually a twig!) This resonates with a conceptual and psychological theme that runs throughout my light painting body-of-work: that things can seem different if seen in a different light -- the notion of cognitive "reframing.") Here, the irony between beauty and risks vs benefits of what is depicted can provoke discussion.