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Attuned to the Land: September’s Episode of the Tippet Rise Podcast

September 4, 2020

“Sometimes, if you look at Tippet Rise, it’s too much, it’s too expansive. We’re in this canyon and it’s still this unbelievable narrow view outward. It’s endless to the mountains, the horizon, and these clouds. You follow these things and see how they work out, pair together, and what they lead to. Maybe that works really well here, maybe it doesn’t, there. Maybe it leads to the next thing. Maybe it’s over the ridge or a different season. But, going back to those things that are on a map and the land becomes a map itself. You have different points that become constants, so you can see the difference. It’s using the land to frame the seasons and then watching how it affects them and how it changes.”
- James Florio

Photographer James Florio focuses on the built environment and the life surrounding it. His projects, often long-term, document the effects of nature, climate, and time on architecture and landscapes. He works slowly when possible, immersing himself in a place in order to gain a greater understanding of it and then deliver a more contemplative and insightful photographic interpretation.

For several years now, Florio has trained his lens on the landscape, sculptures and structures of Tippet Rise. He spends days and weeks at a time traversing the art center’s 12,000 acres, exploring it in all weather conditions, listening, learning, and becoming a part of this place. Through the images he creates, we are able to walk alongside him.

September’s episode of the Tippet Rise Podcast features a conversation with Florio. Engineered by Jim Ruberto and Monte Nickles and produced and narrated by Zachary Patten, the episode offers insights on the photographer’s relationship with this land and his approach to documenting it. To listen to the podcast, please click on “More info” below. For more information about the photographer, visit his website, here.