The Zone

For most of us, the wilderness is place we go in search of things that don’t exist on any map. We might take a walk hoping for calm, clarity, isolation, or answers to show themselves. None of these things have a physical form, and yet we seek them regardless. I find this search for the invisible is a common thread in many journeys through the outdoors. 

I often hike to clear my mind. While doing so, I photograph the landscape while awaiting clarity to arrive. A reoccurring destination that I photograph is Acadia National Park, located on Mount Desert Island in Maine. On previous trips, my work focused on capturing general scenes of the park’s landscape. My artistic direction changed during a trip in July of 2017. The week before the trip, I saw a newly restored version of Andrei Tarkovsky's film, Stalker. The film caused me to see the park with new eyes.

The film tells the story of three men who navigate a sentient wilderness, called “The Zone”, in search of a room that grants you all of your desires. It’s a perfect cinematic parallel to our search for the invisible. I found the film visually inspiring as well. As I left the theater, I felt hypnotized by slow camera movements and an emphasis on the texture of each scene.

With both concept and visuals still fresh in my mind, I took a more contemplative approach to photographing the park. While observing the scenes around me, I began to deconstruct them. While doing so, my conscious thought slowed because of where I directed my attention. This practice of visual distraction might seem counter intuitive in finding the invisible, but in fact I think it brings us closer to completing the search.