Gianna Vargas: Desiccated

About

Desiccated, dry, withered- these descriptors don’t conjure an appealing image, but desiccation is an eventual phenomenon in the natural world. Gianna Vargas’s artistic practice is informed by aspects of the natural world and inspired by the opportunity to create a new body of work outside of painting; her first instinct was to venture into the forest to document plants in their state of winter decay.

For “Desiccated,” Gianna Vargas captures images of dying leaves and flowers in winter. They no longer serve a purpose for the plant and therefore are left to wither. However, their structure and composition are still beautiful as they cling to existence with dogged determination. Vargas also seeks to elevate and appreciate what would otherwise be overlooked by capturing images of the plant’s resilience. Creating these images was a way to find beauty in winter.