Dana Montlack

Phototropic Relicts

Phototropic Relicts investigates ecology by layering drawing, cyanotype, and maps within the framework of antique union cases. The series draws a parallel between the preservation of images in early photography and the survival of "relict" species: sweetgum, kelp, coral, insects, and hummingbirds. By encasing these threatened forms in 19th-century borders, the work frames the resilience of the natural world through the lens of photographic history.

Photographic composite artwork featuring an antique daguerrotype case filled with images of sweetgum maple and lobolly pine.
An artwork combining nature images of pine and an insect in an antique photocase.
An artwork combining images of blossoming flowers with an antique gold-leafed daguerrotype case.
An artwork combining the words of Emily Dickinson with composited images of ocean ecology, set in a red velvet and gold antique photograph case.
A photographic composite artwork combining natural ecological imagery with the words of John Keats and an antique photocase.
A hand-embellished print on watercolor paper depicting an antique photograph case with blue velvet and imagery of the the ocean ecosystem.
Changing Climates - Droplets →