virtual nature

the romance of nature. although wilderness is disappearing, it persists as an idea. and nature as a paradigm of beauty and harmony is a construct we cling to. but nature can be scary and unpredictable. i want a secure and finite place, where i can have a dangerous experience, where i can spontaneously combust. virtual nature might be safe: a bed quilt covered with tiny flowers, a little garden on a sampler where there are no deer ticks, no copperhead snakes, no poison ivy, no flash lightening bolts frying the fax machine, no escaped convicts lurking, nothing to fear.
~from I Am Not This Body, a collection of photography by Barbara Ess

i don't particularly relate to this fear of nature but i love the idea of escaped convicts lurking in my quilt.

check out the book, it's amazing.