“This work expresses time in an organic form as it develops chaotically, slows to a stillness, and passes by suddenly. I made a total of six pinhole cameras out of paint cans with light-sensitive paper placed on the inside. Laying them out in my backyard in Houston during the winter of February 2020, these ‘cameras’ took note of each sun pattern and weather condition. I had no definite time frame in mind.

That same month, I learned of a new virus strain in Wuhan, China. These time capsules were with me throughout the entire early stages of the pandemic, as I stayed home instead of returning to school. As time progressed, I began to see a connection between the solargraphs, the pandemic, and personal events that came and went throughout my life. The cameras degraded and rusted, and the paper inside molded over time. The sun etched streaks of light – each one representing a day. Some streaks are hidden, some not even visible – just as some of my days became a blur. As the days passed by in quarantine, I lost track of time in its entirety. I found myself with an empty feeling at times, like a void, just waiting, anticipating, and watching.

These solargraphs represent time covered by fungal growth, just as my time and many others were covered by heartache, fear, and anxiousness. What’s left is a remnant of time passed, covered, and replaced with life itself. Just as a virus survives and mutates, humans can outlive and adapt. These imageries represent the stillness that is found between moments of peace and chaos and how quickly or slowly time can move for oneself. ”

Joshua Mokry