The plant Papaver somniferum, a particular species of poppy, has been cultivated and used medicinally by humans for over 6,000 years. Poppyhead is a suite of photographs depicting the seed pods of this plant, sliced to release the narcotic sap that serves as the source of opium, morphine, and heroin. I’m fascinated by how this sap—often referred to as the body fluid of the opium poppy—interacts with the chemicals and bodily fluids of human bodies. Compositionally, the poppy pods occupy the foreground, evoking a sense of portraiture that reflects humanity’s reverence for the plant’s effects, which range from addiction and pain relief to altered mental states and cosmic connection. The series includes two sets of images: one showing the freshly sliced pods and another depicting pods drained of their sap and life energy.
