Nico Osier (Sitting on Granite), Collaborator Portrait
Nico Osier
How I See Myself. A mix of colorful pressed flowers scanned and collaged over a black and white Collaborator Portrait image.
Nico Steel Osier (they/them) is a transmasculine nonbinary professor who lives in Austin, Texas. They enjoy spending time outdoors and can often be found hiking, swimming, relaxing in a hammock, or tending to their garden and indoor plant collection. They are proud of their ambitious repertoire of creative pursuits, especially collage, assemblage, crochet, knitting, weaving, digital photography, and dancing.
Instagram: @NicoTheyReformed
Website: https://nicoleosier.wixsite.com/osierlaboratory
Mother Nature’s Son
Through Mother Nature’s Son I explore the ways in which humans and the natural world are interconnected, symbiotic, and at times adversarial. I’m interested in people’s emotional responses when existing in natural spaces, their attempts to control nature, as well as the ways in which nature rejects being dominated by humans. By taking pictures of places in my personal life and incorporating pressed flowers from my garden, I am able to share my reverence for nature, my strong desire to nurture living things, as well as the feelings of isolation and connection that both lead me to spend time outside and that I feel in response to being in nature. This work is important, because it enables me to see myself as part of a larger ecological community, re-explore my connection to my world as a transgender individual, and critically evaluate the ways in which I interact with the environment. This project has also enabled me to grow as an individual, develop new hard and soft skills, and embrace a sense of childlike wonder.
01. A flowering tree from a neighboring yard takes up space in a brick courtyard.
02. A collapsed palm tree lies on a rocky lawn, its trunk folded over from the foreground to the background.
03. A neon yellow hose winds from the foreground to the background, along a sun-speckled path.
04. 5 tree stumps sit atop a grassy lawn.
05. Bubbles float in the foreground in front of a stack of bricks on a grassy lawn; in the background there is a green metal gate in front of a wooden fence.
06. A splash of water breaks up a tranquil tree-lined river scene.
07. A worm’s eye view of a gray grave with plants growing through the concrete.
08. A piece of bamboo is propped in the corner of a patio underneath a metal stand.
09. A black trash can, tan trash can, and two blue recycling bins sit on a dirt lawn in front of a flowering tree.
10. A silhouette of trees is in front of an orange sunset, which reflects on the water highlighting a splash from a swimmer.
11. A building sits in front of a blue sky; the balcony and side of the building is covered in trumpet vines; on the street is a red bicycle rack and a person in a red t-shirt.
12. Plants hang in a courtyard from a trellis above tables and chairs.
13. Two bricks sit near a hole in the dirt, one giving off a shadow; they are contained by a semicircle of pavers and other shadows.
14. Sun pokes through the tress on to a river.
