Artist Statement: Complexity of character, masculine and feminine, intimate yet bold, sensual yet strong: My photographs are an exploration of these dualities. By exaggerating the inner architecture of plant life, I offer the viewer a chance to become confronted by and immersed in nature.Laurie first started experimenting with photography, flora, and technology as a student of Creative Studies in College. Today in her Birmingham Michigan studio, she goes way beyond traditional photography to produce larger than life botanicals that literally leap off the dramatic black aluminum background.With an acute sensitivity to today’s persistent digital noise, Tennent’s collection of intimate portraits commands attention by returning us to our most primitive and organic roots. Isolating delicate living structures and amplifying them on a massive scale transports the viewer to a serene space where we are encouraged to breathe and to reconnect with the simple beauty of these objects.Her work has been featured in several notable botanical gardens like The Chicago Botanic Garden, Morton Garden, and Peace River Garden, and more. She was featured at Oakland University & Cranbrook, and her pieces were also chosen by the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy to display along the Riverwalk as part of a three-year installation.Laurie doesn’t share all the details of how she creates the incredible depth in her work. We call it Laurie’s magic pixie dust. What we can tell you, is that she uses and electrostatic process to embed her images into aluminum. That process, though expensive, makes her work highly unusual and very durable. They can even be displayed outdoors.