Artist Statement
The photographs featured in the Between Realities series document cultural sites and artifacts in Hawaii that are threatened by tourism and urban development. I was drawn to these sites and hope that these photographs will aid awareness and help to protect their beauty for generations to come. I will continue to return to Hawaii to continue work on this project.
I've chosen to create the images digitally with the visual style of infrared film which I feel best depicts the timelessness, energy and mystery of the interactions between the land and culture: first the ancient Hawaiians, then the immigrant plantation workers and now the tourists and urban developers. Each has left its layer upon the land. Standing between a revered cultural site and a tourist destination, it's hard to pinpoint your reality; you are truly between realities.
Bio
Chris Wayland was drawn to photography through the newsroom door while working as a print and wire reporter for news organizations including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Hannibal Courier-Post and The Associated Press. Since that time, she has devoted herself to photography, having studied craft and creativity. Her current project Between Realities ties together all her professional interests by informing the viewer about issues vital to a culture that is shared in both words and pictures, and illustrated beautifully with her photographs of Hawaii. A native of St. Louis, she now lives in the Dallas area, and visits Hawaii as often as possible.