Artist Statement

The common thread of Hornscapes is an old French Horn, but the settings range from architecture to nature. The French Horn, which often represented the spirit in classical music, is remarkably beautiful - both in sound and in shape. The Hornscapes series was initially inspired by the sound of the French Horn in music, but it became a celebration of the shape of the instrument itself in contexts of unusual settings.

The French Horn works to bring drama and life to background settings that may or may not stand alone as good photographic subjects. But more importantly the settings of Hornscapes put the horn in unexpected places, with natural light drawing attention to the wonderful flares, bends and loops of the instrument.

From the California surf to Yosemite, from buildings to bridges, Hornscapes is a transition of visual perspectives of an instrument of music. Whereas the sounds of musical instruments can evoke various aspects of nature and architecture, the French Horn as a visual object can spark new perceptions of even common scenes.

The actual French Horn photographed for Hornscapes was built in 1849 in Brussels. This instrument has piston valves instead of rotary valves that modern French Horns have. The instrument was virtually unplayable many years before work on the Hornscapes series started, and it is even more unplayable today. It has been in sand, under saltwater, and occasionally dropped. The old nickel finish is tarnished and pitted. Nevertheless, this old instrument has retained its beauty of design, and it still marvelously twists and bends the light that surrounds it.