​​​​​​​Julia Averett Buteux

January 2020 marked the first time I entered my grandmother's greenhouse in several decades. My plan was to shoot memory shots and leave. Wary of animals sheltering there, I ultimately came to view this small, decayed building not only as safe but ultimately full of symbolic treasures. A trapped dove, a sixty-year old gardening manual, and a roof's soft flutter on a cloudless, windless day could all be casual coincidences. Or, perhaps, reminders that although our loved ones may have passed, they remain with us in spirit, loving and guiding us to be our best selves. Martha's Greenhouse draws together the force of spirit, the significance of our histories, the healing power of nature, the intersection of structure and sky, and most importantly, grace and gratitude. The series original prints on fabric gave viewers the sensation of their own ancestors enveloping presence.