The early 20th-century ushered in an audaciously romantic American gem: the picture-palace. As "movie magic" permeated the public's sensibility, pleasure domes of unrivaled artifice and euphoric pageantry swiftly sprouted up across the nation. Architect-designers embodied splendor of ancient temples, Renaissance palaces, and European opera houses, sparing no expense in 13th to 19th-century revival treatments. For a few cents, visitors were transported into enchanting “playhouses” of exotic cultures—cinema's glamour revamped the significance of theatres as treasured gathering places.

I am captivated by the monumental grandeur before me; spaciousness, symmetry, and precise sight lines immerse me. Each interior's architectural proportions and eclectic ornamentation reveals the competitive edge designers sought to mesmerize patrons. Stripped of customary visitors and photographed using ambient lighting, a typology of decorative expression takes form—allegorical motifs, silky damask, gilded surfaces, elaborate staircases, and intricate carving befitting majesty and spectacle. A firm quietude surrounds me within these historic walls, reflecting back the souls of magnificent places. Time seems to have paused here as past resonates into present.

As custodians of a bygone era, if these iconic environments could speak I imagine a deluge of sensational stories. Their imposing beauty and flamboyance showcases a sociocultural allure of assembly, storytelling, and opulence. The advent of moving pictures as broadly accessible entertainment subverted class distinctions conventionally upheld in classical theatre. George Rapp of early 20th-century architectural firm Rapp & Rapp stated: “Here is a shrine to democracy where the wealthy rub elbows with the poor.” A century later, as citizens embrace ever-shifting connections in consumerist cultures, I am intrigued by these distinguished social nexuses and my aim is to preserve their historic relevance and rich memories.

Standing on enormously diverse geology ranging from fiery inferno to glacial chill—both often within a stone's throw of each other—I set out to capture dynamic and elemental vistas while informing a visual thesis on fragile geothermal terrain. Iceland is an island nation of significant ongoing tectonic activity in tandem to a prolific source of renewable energy and a genesis of new topography. In the face of increasing human impact upon natural environments in the Anthropocene, these photographs document protected otherworldly landscapes within a culture which reveres nature. Contemplating dualities of consumerism and unadulterated beauty within an unsustainable ecosystem of increasing populations and tourism, in the Icelandic countryside I can still confidently drink water directly from a flowing river. 

Geothermal bathing has been with civilization for time immemorial. Rising naturally from Earth's surface and bringing with it high mineral content, Icelandic locals historically meet in these steamy waters to relax, reflect, relieve stress, and to catch up with their social networks. Bathers also seek a plethora of purported health benefits such as muscle ease, detoxification, and stimulation of body systems. Contemporary as well as original, more isolated bathing sites discovered throughout the wilderness and on family-owned land also harness the sustainably-sourced geothermal waters beneath the Earth's crust for electricity, hot water, and vegetable harvesting. In these studies, I examine the ongoing allure and diverse geography of natural therapeutic hot springs

Hearkening back to photography's roots, an aesthetic sensibility of less-modified and all-encompassing landscape perspectives inspired my approach as I traversed volatile vistas on this majestic land.

At the dawn of 2020, universal freedoms were renegotiated as the world receded into quarantine. Lifestyles were fraught with apprehension surrounding social implications of an unapologetic threat among our collective future. We promptly discovered detachment drastically shifts routine and tests psychology. Humanity's fragile inter-connectedness amid a surreal stillness became a germane allegory of solidarity and perseverance in an uncertain world. 

With natural light befitting mood, each tabletop represents distraction and amusement, a need seemingly amplified in a skewed world. As pastimes rooted in tradition, like mythology and literature, games are cultural agents for human experience—the zeitgeist of societies. While passing the time at home during isolation, on an old coffee table where memories abound, games cultivated safety, intimacy, and warmth among limited human presence.

As serendipitous surrogates to customary social interactions, these moments hearkened back to a seemingly lost tradition, to nostalgic times from which I've reassessed valued relationships and my habitual approach to daily life. I grew intrigued by items, surface textures, and backgrounds encompassing an adjusted at-home mindset, a meditative glimpse of indirect portraiture. Reflecting upon and freshly embracing what essentially matters in this paused, ambiguous arc of time, has suddenly come into sharp[er] focus. 

Food provides nourishment, supports social ritual, and expresses environment. A shared meal reveals tradition and offers opportunity for discourse. Breaking bread with fellow humans—a common fundamental act of required sustenance—many barriers seem to melt away, opening opportunity for deeper relations and cogent understanding. Personal electronic devices have modified our communal experiences by assimilating onto familiar surfaces. As a direct tap into the evolving world, they help expand our knowledge and facilitate daily life—their universal form and function have become ubiquitous.

Raised in a Greek household, my mother fervently emphasized family bonding during meals. Regardless of occasion, her homemade dishes and ritual dressing of the dinner table reflected dedication around moments of togetherness and reflection. Since that time, a new etiquette of exchange has emerged via smartphones, one of intermittent conversation comprising momentary disengagement into self-imposed bubbles of distraction. This modern paradigm has become customary and is particularly observed on time-honored surfaces where we traditionally break bread.

Evoking Dutch Golden Age still-life as inspiration, Conversations contemplates the eternal vs. the fleeting through technology’s implications on human interaction and its impact upon memory. As contemporary counterparts, these shared meals with friends and family throughout Europe and America celebrate intimacy and culture discovered at the table, while representing today’s frenetic, always-connected epoch of instant gratification. While we may relate to these tables as both hosts and participants, I’m intrigued by how our perceptions of networking impact our presence in social spaces.