Artist Statement

Observations from the Nicoya Peninsula

This fall I traveled to Costa Rica for one month. This installation contains objects and images that reflect my perception of the country from the urban areas of San Jose to the rainforests and beaches. The majority of my time was spent in the Pacific costal area known as the Nicoya Peninsula.

I chose to focus on specific details of the landscape. Similar to the way our western eye, under the guise of science, usually examines the micro details of an object or organism rather than seeing the larger interconnected whole. I've gathered small artifacts from the beach, tracked the rainfall, photographed the colors and textures and recorded the sounds of the area. By recombining these samples, I hope to create a new landscape, one that resembles elements of Costa Rica, but is created by the viewer's experience.

Liz Obert