For WEST OF 3:00AM, Paxton traveled through West Texas and along the West Coast, which inspired her to photograph the contrasting environments intertwined by the concept of marking the landscape with lucid squares slicing through, resting in and defining the scale of the planes. When she visited Joshua Tree, however, her experience transitioned the work from envisioning almost solid structures to imagining a physical expression of her soul, her light, moving through the space. This same perception translated to Chino Hills and other parts of California. The abstractions began very linearly – with the square forms. Rigid yet bright. Moving into more of a sporadic pattern – neon lights characterized by the emotions she felt in the space.

“There’s more of a freedom here. Nothing is holding me back anymore. I am free to wander. This is my journey. What route will I take next?”