Artist Statement:

similar but not the same is an artist book that speaks to the urbanization of Iowa prairie or agricultural lands for the sake of development. I wanted to make a statement in response to the common belief that Iowa land is “redundant” or “mundane” simply because it is land that is not being actively used by humans for a perceived advancement or value. The cyanotype pages reflect nuanced differences found among natural lands and are a way to show Iowa’s diverse ecosystem. The black and white photographs are instances where humans have intervened in some way that may reflect on a type of natural landscape. A symbolic repetition occurs when relating the two experiences side by side, or in this book, layered one on top of the other. Due to the nature of the cyanotype printing process on Kozuke paper, parts of the black and white photograph can be visible through areas of the print, indicating the encroaching presence of urban development always looming over native lands.