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Her Island of Beauty, 2003-2005

Corsica--granite island, island of beauty, secret island hidden in plain sight off the southern coast of France--was my home for two years. I spent most of my time in the south, the region least developed and most loved for its exquisite beaches and rustic mountains. Isolated by the surrounding seas and its own insular history, Corsica is also for me the island of time. Prehistoric and preindustrial, its mountain villages appear untouched by modernity while the coastline reveals increasing evidence of a booming tourist trade.

My explorations in southern Corsica led me to the lonely places where time stands still; along roads sculpted out of mountains, to villages dating from the middle ages, to cemetaries in coastal towns, and finally to the sea itself. In Porto-Vecchio I explored the fringes of the town, the detritus of nascent industry, and the surrounding rural hamlets--spaces defined first by a rough nature subsequently etched by layers of human intervention. In the town of Bonifacio I found a coastal gem fortified against the sea by ancient walls.

Only the time-tested and worn constructions seemed to belong, while the new and foreign felt odd and out of place. This contrast between the unspoiled landscape and the results of recent attempts to inhabit it describe the perceived tensions at play. These photographs point to the traces of periodic human habitation, attempts to master a wild and rocky piece of Earth which somehow naturally resists. Together these images describe my perceptions of this place while composing a portrait of an enigma.

Please visit my website to see the complete series.