Late June is an ongoing series processing a period of time in my personal life. A stage of grief, of love lost and gained, of vulnerability,
of absence, of presence, of leaving.
The loss of my grandfather at 2:11pm on June 30th marked the middle of the painful year of 2020 – leaving me feeling completely empty, with nothing left to do but create.
The process of creating brings healing.
This series takes form in photographic diptychs, where we view a landscape with and without a figure present. In some images the landscape becomes distorted - while the figure remains untouched. In others, the landscape and figure remain peaceful and untouched, yet the figure is covered or seemingly disassociated. At times the subject is obscured by cloth, adding a further level of anonymity and detachment. While there is a disconnect between the figure and viewer, the use of form indicates a connection to human experience, as well as intimacy and vulnerability.
The viewer is forced to confront how the landscape is affected when the figure is no longer present. How do environments and spaces change with the absence versus presence of the figure? The two images aligned together create a harsh line, alluding to the abruptness of death and loss – creating a purposefully uncomfortable transition between the photos. The distortions vary in each diptych, to show different stages of grieving and healing. While the landscapes are distorted by crumpling, folding, and being placed back into the natural element, they are all preserved rather than discarded. A space changes when loss has occurred there.
Trauma is not linear – the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance) do not accurately measure one’s personal healing process. Grief is recursive – until acceptance or inner peace can be fully attained. The distortions and undulations in the landscape suggest the discomfort and lack of predictability when undergoing a journey of healing.