RILEY MCBRIDE

Artist Statement

In Rockhaven, I photographed the house in which my roommate and I live and the immediate landscape to create images that unveil the tension and vulnerability that lies within the desire to control the ideological and physical boundaries that surround the home. 

Ideal aspects of the landscape have historically been determined such as weeds distinguished from grass, establishing pure from impure. The houseplant decorates the home, decontaminates the air inside, and serves as a filtered, carefully curated form of landscape. Fueled by desire to connect with nature, I adorn the rooms with potted plants that are sensory-rich and stress-relieving. Clipped, manicured, watered on a schedule, the houseplants simulate a closeness to the natural world, yet I sustain a sense of control the landscape outside of the home does not allow.