This series was done for a project in my photography class. It’s been a while, so I’m not quite sure, but I believe the topic was constructed surrealism
, and we were also required to submit an artist’s statement explaining the meaning of the work. My statement was written at a time when I was a little stuck in my own head, so it was kind of long, and probably too personal, so here is a paraphrased version:
Much of my artistic process, personal and for school, has been trying to articulate through my work what I cannot with words, and this is no different. It can almost be therapeutic at times, but it can also be stressful if deadlines are tough. What I attempted to convey here is an anxious solace. Comfort in catharsis. A subtle, whispered panic. Relaxing on a bed of metaphorical nails. Longing for a future far off in the darkness, yet in awe of the present moment. I don’t think these phrases are truly accurate, but hopefully, in some abstract way, you get the idea. I tried to put myself in places that would bring about this strange state of mind, and while I was too busy working to fully exist within that mental space, many of these photos make me reminisce on certain moments in my life when I felt that way. I hope it spoke to you, regardless of if it said what I intended it to.