Lapin - February 2024

- Artist Statement / Bio -

Hi, I'm Dustin Lenz, but I operate under the moniker "Lapin", predominately working as a portrait photographer specializing in curated art & concept portraits with a focus on escapism, as well as a tintype portrait photographer. In 2023, I spent a majority of my time traveling between the United States and countries scattered throughout the world including Japan, Spain, Germany, Korea, China, and Italy. Without the comfort of portraiture, for the first time in a long time I found myself looking towards the inanimate, to fuel my inner animate thoughts.

The guiding philosophy of my work is drawn from the words of my late mentor, Yi-Fu Tuan, who once remarked, "Place is security, Space is freedom." His passing in 2022 prompted a deep introspection during my travels, where each new location became a canvas for exploring the nuanced relationship between the security found in place and the freedom embodied by space.

In 2023, this introspection manifested in a project dedicated to honoring Yi-Fu. Drawing inspiration from his teachings and our shared moments, I sought to freeze not just moments in time, but the essence of space and place. The resulting photographic series serves as a visual narrative, capturing the delicate dance between freedom and security, the tangible and the ethereal, and the escape we find in the natural world around us. I invite everyone to not just to examine and quantify the world around us, but become a part of, and absorb, the world around us.