Austin Cullen

A Natural History (Built to be Seen) | A Natural History (Built to be Seen), is a photographic exploration of the natural world, and the various ways it’s constructed and presented by humans. As someone who really values natural history and museums, I've always been interested in the history of natural history, and how it’s both molded and displayed people's understanding of the larger natural world. With this in mind, I wanted to understand the relationship between natural history museums and the American landscape, so I could understand the ways in which they affect one another.

The photographs contrast and draw connections between the interior spaces of natural history museums, with exterior spaces, like national parks and scenic viewpoints. By relating the microcosm of natural history museums, to the macrocosm of the larger American landscape, the cultural biases and at times absurd expectations of what is “natural” comes to the forefront of my work. www.austincullen.com