In the depths of quiet contemplation, where the rhythms of life and nature intertwine, I find myself drawn into a profound kinship with the lithic and the geologic processes that have shaped our planet through time. From the gentle caress of wind and water to the violent eruptions of volcanoes and the slow dance of tectonic plates, these processes have forged the very fabric of our existence. In the quietude of my photographic encounters, I recognize that we are but ephemeral guests in this grand theater of deep time. 

My artistic journey into the lithic world began with a yearning to communicate beyond human language, to explore the beauty of silence and stillness that lies at the core of our existence. In the presence of stones, I find a language that transcends words—a language that speaks of timelessness, resilience, and wisdom accumulated over eons. This photographic series, Our Shared Language Is Silence, investigates the subtle connections and unspoken dialogues that emerge with the more-than-human world when we slow down and observe with intent.

Our perception of time has been rigidly defined as linear, like an arrow, hurtling toward an uncertain future. In a world constantly racing forward, consumed by the urgency of progress, we have grown distant from the natural world’s gentle whispers. But what if we dared to reimagine time as something more expansive, more connected to the rhythms of the Earth itself? In this photographic series, I aspire to awaken a sense of wonder, inspiring a collective shift toward a slower, more deliberate engagement with the natural world. By reimagining our understanding of time and relinquishing the constraints of a linear existence, we can begin to explore the vastness of ecological time and forge a profound connection with the more-than-human, fostering a harmonious coexistence with the Earth and all its inhabitants.

The kinship I feel with agents of stone, keepers of deep-time stories, transcends the boundaries of time and space, fostering a sense of interconnectedness within the larger fabric of my existence. In their silence, I find a voice that speaks of unity, of continuity and unconformity, a language that binds us to the grand narrative of life on Earth. The stones in this series are witnesses to the eons that have passed, grounding us in the understanding that time is not merely a linear, fleeting moment but a continuous flow of interwoven stories. Drawing inspiration from this silent dialogue, I seek to rekindle our connection to the profound depths of time and our shared origins. Each photograph in this series is a love letter to my lithic kin, and to the slow art of observation, an invitation to immerse oneself in the details, patterns, and textures that whisper stories of the Earth’s ancient past.

Each time I immerse myself in the creative process required to create these images, I find my connection deepening with the more-than-human. In forging that connection, I involve all my senses—before I ever lift the camera to my eye. I run my hand over the surface of these beings—physically connecting and searching for a common language, one beyond words, as the silence allows for my other senses to flourish in these spaces. With my eyes closed, my fingers search for textures carved upon these beings by forces of nature. Each marks a story as these lithic beings have passed through the world—a life cycle with no end as they turn from rock to dust, to fluid, and to stone again. I become aware that they have seen places and known things that I will never know—from the depths of the planet I will never reach—yet they are here, to share these stories with us and provide a foundation for us to create our own. Mountains that were once the sea become cities—without these lithic agents, our human story would have no place to flourish. Humbly, in silence, I attempt through my lens to transmute their stories in the way the stones communicate them to me, during our shared time on this planet together. The act of connection and deep observation becomes an act of reciprocity, a form of communion with the stones and the essence of deep time in all its forms. In this state of artistic engagement, I bridge the gap between myself and the more-than-human, embracing a profound sense of interconnectedness and fostering a feeling of belonging to a vast, ancient community of life. 

Just as stones undergo metamorphosis, we, too, are shaped and molded by the forces of our surroundings. The stones’ silent language invites us to explore the shared journey of growth, erosion, and transformation, drawing parallels to the human experience of resilience and adaptation. Through this photographic series, I invite viewers to pause and to ponder their own relationship with time and the more-than-human. In a world dominated by constant movement and noise, these images provide an opportunity to contemplate our place within the greater tapestry of existence, prompting us to reimagine time as a cyclical dance, a woven pattern, or something altogether different.

Our Shared Language Is Silence is an invitation to engage in a dialogue with the Earth, to listen for the silent languages that connect us with the more-than-human world, that come through the process of slow observation, and to introspect on our place within the grand unfolding of time. In this visual ode to slow art, observation with intent becomes a form of meditation, a pathway to kindle a collective awakening, fostering a deeper appreciation for the more-than-human world and igniting a desire to nurture our shared home with tenderness and love.

As we immerse ourselves in our own personal journey, let us remember that our place in the world is not one of domination but of coexistence. As we slow down and attune ourselves to the intricate details of nature, we may find that, indeed, our shared language is silence, a language that transcends words and embraces the unspoken connections that bind us to the stones, deep time, and the essence of life itself.