Jennifer McKinnon Richman

My work explores the tension between urban grit and natural serenity through photographic composites that blend textures found in cities with organic elements from the natural world. Using photography as my primary medium, I collect surfaces—cracked concrete, peeling paint, rusted metal—that bear the marks of human presence and time. These urban textures are then layered with images of natural objects—plants, flowers, landscapes—to reflect the duality within myself: the longing to be immersed in nature, and the simultaneous fascination with the imperfect, chaotic beauty of city life.I’m drawn to the overlooked and decaying aspects of urban environments, yet I find peace in the quiet simplicity of nature. By merging these opposing worlds, I seek to create spaces where contradiction feels cohesive, where the raw and the delicate coexist.Ultimately, my work is about balance—the push and pull between retreat and engagement, stillness and movement, wildness and structure. It is both a personal reflection and an invitation for viewers to consider their own relationship with the spaces they inhabit.