I AM: Self-Portraits in Nature

photo: I AM: Discussing age at sunset with a saguaro

I have completed a series of nude portraits in nature, most of which were made during a two-month tour of the western U.S. Having experienced numerous difficulties in childhood, being outdoors and in nature was literally and figuratively a life-saving experience for me. I’m also exploring the many similarities between women’s bodies and the environment, how we both appreciate them for their beauty and desecrate them nonetheless.

I have written poems to accompany many of the photographs. As a lover of words, I think they can deepen the viewer’s experience of the images.

Each image is available in an edition of 10 plus one A.P. I am seeking opportunities to exhibit the work and would love for a female artist-focused collector to acquire the series. It is also available for fund-raisers.

A book project is in the works. Please contact me for details. Thank you for viewing the work. (Click on any image to open full size.)

What is this series about?

  • A newly discovered quality of self-acceptance in my 60’s, despite decades of being quite vain;
  • An appetite to create art from the female gaze, to reclaim my time, my body, and my somewhat formal point of view;
  • My fascination with creating beautiful works of art that are free of artifice, makeup, and faux anything.
  • My desire to create performance art that celebrates individual freedom, self-acceptance, and gratitude for wild open spaces.
  • To highlight the connections between women’s bodies and the environment – to bring respect for both and stop the trash and trash talk that infiltrates our spaces.

Please visit the website I created for this project.

I have a draft PDF of this body of work that includes some of the poems. I am looking for places to exhibit this work and to talk about the issues of aging, women’s bodies, and environmental protection.

You can view or download it here:
For the Love of Nature by Roxanne Darling