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.

"For me the squares are hinderances. They represent the concept of me putting up emotional barriers that are dappled throughout the landscape, cutting through the planes, pinpointing a moment in my life. As time moves on, we stumble along the way to get to where we need to be. They are lucid for a reason. Seeing the path I can not reach. The squares transition and progress into a neon form. 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?” -PM-