Excavation of Self
Collectively navigating the current pandemic has produced a particularly isolating year for many U.S. citizens. Without the crutch of social activities to balance out our days, we are forced to relearn how to live with ourselves. Personally, my time in isolation has unearthed insecurities and behaviors that were long ago buried, while simultaneously giving me strange clarity of my fundamental needs as a person. Students at Hamilton College have the most fortunate opportunity to come together in-person for our school year. Despite this, the anxieties and restrictions of living through a pandemic continue to veil every student’s experience on campus.
As I engaged in the arduous, technical aspects of large format photography, I created a collection of work that displays people in moments of self-reflection. While we shot, sitters were asked to reflect on their past year living through the Covid-19 pandemic and think about the ways isolation has impacted their view of themself. Featured in the portraits are peers that I have a wide range of relationships with; from roommates to classmates to mutual friends. At its core, this project centers around making connections, something that I took for granted before experiencing the pandemic.
A large component of this series is focused on the collaborative nature of portraiture and breaking down the barriers between photographer and sitter. My sitters were given equal say in each aspect of their shoot–clothing, location, positioning, and so on.
