Hortophilia

Hortophilia is an art book that explores rituals to save the planet. These photographs provide a visual escape from mundane everydayness into a fantastical world, as seen through the lenses of queer female identity and women’s relationships to nature. Hortophilia means the desire to interact with, manage and tend to nature, and the images in this book look to honor that idea.

Hi, I'm Charlie Watts, and I am the author of Hortophilia.

The problem I see is that through our evolution, many individuals have come to view themselves as separate from nature. So things like deforestation, rapid loss of pollinators, and getting clean water have become commonplace. Biologists across the world have stated that if the rate of consumption stays the same, 50% of species alive today will be endangered in the next century. 

Hortophilia approaches this crisis by using imagery to represent our connections to these issues and explore solutions. The photographs search within the mycelium ecosystems—the manner in which trees communicate—to bind us together and validate our essential kinship with the natural world. The images visually exemplify our symbiotic care of the world by exploring Spinoza's pantheism: that spirit is nature and nature is spirit.

Hortophilia is for anyone inspired by the arts who has a passion for creating a better planet.

Through my experiences as artist, herbalist, and energy healer, I have sought to transport viewers to worlds that peacefully co-exist with nature. As a female-identifying artist, I want to imbue this book with the power of the sacred feminine. I believe that when we raise up women, we raise up the planet.

This campaign on iFundWomen will contribute to the printing of Hortophilia. iFundWomen is a pioneering organization that supports women crowdfunders. Hortophilia will be shown at WhiteSpace Gallery, October 25th, 2019! Through your generous contributions, not only will there be funding for the book, but to help produce a wonderful show. 

Contributors to this project will be given the first opportunity to purchase books as well as a limited series of original works on paper. Thank you for your support in helping to bring this book to life.