Resting Bodies is an attempt to blur the boundaries between the human and natural worlds, positioning both in a shared space of care and attention. The use of cyanotype printing toned in a natural dye bath (oak galls), adds a temporal dimension, evoking the natural processes of decay and preservation and conferring the work more warm earthy tones. 

The interplay between subjects, the domestic staging, and the cyanotype process align with the eco-philosophical themes in Stacy Alaimo’s book Undomesticated Ground. This is a photographic exploration of care, connection, inviting the viewer to reconsider the animacy of matter, proposing a more attentive, respectful relationship between the body and the world it inhabits.

Some of the plants portrayed in this work are native to other continents (Australia and South Africa) but are today typical of both urban and rural environments. Having lived all my life in an urban environment, moving to the countryside of Portugal in the interior region of Ribatejo, already in my 40s, had quite an impact on the way I see nature. With age I’ve also started to look at my body differently, slowly untangling all society norms, the male gaze and my own internalised expectations.

This series was exhibited within the collective exhibition ‘undomesticated ground’, curated by myself for studio seco and featuring artists Annette Brinkerhoff, Raquel Cardoso, Elmira Katasova, Catarina Nogueira, Nina Fraser, Francesca Faulin, Arta Raituma, Franka Struys.