Invocation of Moss

Where there is rot beneath the root–I grow.
My tongue is lichen, whispering to deaf stone–
Carrying weight from the silence of my own.
Not the ash, but the offspring of those who caused the burn scar.
Born of the architects and contrite with their destruction,
Only ever finding comfort
In company with the death-eaters deep in loam.

Through steel and stone
She will grow
And we will remember her name
As we worship the Earth triumphant.



David M. Castillo is an artist from New Mexico whose work in photography, installation, and sound reflects a lifelong dialogue with the land—its grief, endurance, and quiet defiance. Rooted in themes of ecological grief, resilience, and the quiet force of nature, his work explores the tension between built environments and the living systems that persist beneath and within them.

Often incorporating analog and experimental processes—such as platinum/palladium printing on handmade washi paper—David creates pieces that reflect both fragility and endurance. His practice is influenced by a deep reverence for decay, reclamation, and the cyclical rebirth of the natural world.

Born of a generation inheriting ecological collapse, David creates work that mourns and honors simultaneously. Through immersive, textural installations and slow image-making, he invite viewers to confront the marks we leave behind—and witness the quiet power of the Earth as it grows through.