Environmental
For the past eight years I have continued my experimental Sculpture / Photography practice while dedicating over 50% of the works to an Environmental Series. The temporary aspect of my work is simply an added metaphoric reminder, that, should we not change our ways with alacrity, our grandchildren will perish from the earth. These images reaveal Gaia’s displeasure with humans. Her harsh warnings now greet us every day.
From a gallerist’s appraisal of my work:
“In 2015, painter/sculptor/photographer, Don Porter, reported that he traveled to the future to begin recording our planet’s fate. From the hundreds of images he has sent to us thus far, Gaia distilled this exhibition, “Matricide - Destiny Manifested.” Porter’s prophetic photographs reveal the dark chaos that will result should we fail to save ourselves from ourselves. Our inadequate efforts toward reversing our planet’s accelerating destruction will continue to manifest in decreasing habitability, mass migration and the ethos of survival by any means. Guided by symbolic imagery in dreams and trances, Porter makes experimental temporary sculptures with anything imaginable, then photographs them as they devolve and disintegrate - metaphorically mirroring our planet’s demise. As he immerses animal, vegetable, and mineral in baths of pigmented liquids, he adds multi-sourced lights, and motion — then manipulates all aspects in unison until the prophetic visions are revealed, just long enough to be photographed.”
As Don says, “It really is a do or die dilemma. I love making subjectively beautiful images in novel ways, but if I don’t devote at least some of my work to saving the lives of my children and their children, indeed those of children everywhere, what will become of my soul?”
From a gallerist’s appraisal of my work:
“In 2015, painter/sculptor/photographer, Don Porter, reported that he traveled to the future to begin recording our planet’s fate. From the hundreds of images he has sent to us thus far, Gaia distilled this exhibition, “Matricide - Destiny Manifested.” Porter’s prophetic photographs reveal the dark chaos that will result should we fail to save ourselves from ourselves. Our inadequate efforts toward reversing our planet’s accelerating destruction will continue to manifest in decreasing habitability, mass migration and the ethos of survival by any means. Guided by symbolic imagery in dreams and trances, Porter makes experimental temporary sculptures with anything imaginable, then photographs them as they devolve and disintegrate - metaphorically mirroring our planet’s demise. As he immerses animal, vegetable, and mineral in baths of pigmented liquids, he adds multi-sourced lights, and motion — then manipulates all aspects in unison until the prophetic visions are revealed, just long enough to be photographed.”
As Don says, “It really is a do or die dilemma. I love making subjectively beautiful images in novel ways, but if I don’t devote at least some of my work to saving the lives of my children and their children, indeed those of children everywhere, what will become of my soul?”
