Jarod Lew

Lives and works in New Haven, CT

Artist statement

Crypsis derives from the Greek word krúptō, meaning to hide and conceal. Drawing from this origin, crypsis describes the ability of any organism to blend into its surroundings and avoid detection. In my latest project, Crypsis Under the Weight of the Southern Sun, I drive across Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina with my 8x10 large format view camera in search of Kudzu. I explore the idea of concealment by wearing a ghillie suit within these landscapes of an invasive plant that has supposedly eaten up the South–to contend with what is and is not being withheld from our sight. An ornamental vine from East Asia, Kudzu was first introduced to the US in 1876. The plant grew to prominence during the 1930’s and 40’s when the Soil Erosion and Soil Conservation Service passed out roughly 85 million Kudzu seedlings to southern farmers for erosion control and land revitalization. By 1946, an estimated 3 million acres of Kudzu spread across the US. The plant soon turned invasive, moving North with its rising temperatures. The vine thrives under hot and humid conditions and can endure temperatures that regularly exceed 80°F. It grows fast and relentlessly, up to a foot a day, to cover any vegetation in its path. Spreading through a rhizomatic root system, the vine ultimately smothers all other plants, suffocating them under its shade. Once thought to bolster and protect US soil, Kudzu has now become an inimical force against land preservation. Nonetheless, the plant can appear...

Artwork