Dead Trees Speak to Me is a culmination of photographs spanning ten years. Tabitha was raised oldest of four sisters in a close-knit Maine family. Through theatrical and fantastical image-making she explores the self-created mythos of her siblings, whose childhood was steeped in fairy and folk tales. Set against the backdrop of rural New England, their own rituals and legends took shape as children, exploring the woods behind their home and swimming in quarries. Fort Baldwin was transformed into Rapunzel’s tower; an abandoned fishing shack–a witch’s hut. As adults, they revisit these locations from childhood to experience the same magic. This collection of images weaves a narrative of sisterhood, isolation, blood, and desire.

“In our childhood, my sisters and I loved folk and fairy tales. Our favorite ones were the ones that scared us. The ones that made the woods behind our home feel dangerous and exciting. Salem’s favorite was Baba Yaga—a witch whose house sat on chicken legs. Mine was Bluebeard, while Claudia and Grace preferred Heckety Peg.

In the forests of New England, we created our rituals, our mythos– ones completely insular to our quartet. Whether they were real or imagined didn’t matter. Folktales warned girls not to stray from the path, or obey their husbands. But in ours, we found freedom and power. My sisters became characters, never confined to just one role.”

coyote pelt

monarch ritual

grace and claudia, easter sunday