"Erotic Nature 06" Photograph - Limited Edition of 10

Erotic Nature is the first of three series that make up Natural Pareidolia and originated accidentally. This is the story behind these images.

In May 2024, after a breakup, daily walks through El Saler Natural Park in Valencia, Spain, became my regular way of life at age 52.

A few months later, I decided to open a dating app to meet new people, a decision that proved crucial. Since I didn't want to show my face in my profile picture, I decided to upload a photo of a sunrise. The result was a profile with hardly any interaction and which also generated distrust.

One morning, during one of my walks, I got lost on a trail and stumbled upon a very curious tree trunk with a hole that looked like female genitalia. That's where the idea came from: searching for more images like this in the surrounding area could be an ideal way to continue interacting anonymously. I was fascinated by the possibility of merging eroticism and nature, as I am a great lover of the latter.

What began as a chance discovery captured on my phone to play with the idea of ​​concealment and identity, awakened something within me that has captivated me to this day...

From that day on, I was unable to walk through nature without searching for sensual shapes and silhouettes in tree bark. Without realizing it, I was venturing into uncharted territory, a space where pareidolia—the psychological tendency to perceive recognizable patterns—and biophilia—our attachment and emotional connection to the natural world—intersect.

The fact that the shapes originate from living beings creates a special bond and adds further motivation to the creative process. Just as blood flows through our veins, sap flows within the tree, a similarity I have always kept in mind.

This creative awakening coincidentally coincided with my initiation into meditation. I soon discovered that searching for these figures kept me in a fascinating state of alertness, demanding my full attention and deep concentration.

So I bought a camera to document it as best I could. With patience and many miles of walking and searching, my mind has gradually trained itself to capture and find these often semi-hidden shapes more easily. Science confirms that we don't all perceive pareidolia with the same intensity; factors such as personality, creativity, anxiety levels, or mood alter the brain's sensitivity to detecting these patterns.

This photographic concept is based on one principle: profound respect for and protection of the tree.