Independent Mysteries

“Independent Mysteries” began as an archiving project drawing on images shot over the previous decade. Gradually, emotional themes which persisted regardless of geography or time became apparent across so many of the images, they were impossible to ignore. Drawing this connection was the first step in developing Independent Mysteries into a broader series/book. For many years, in my travels and immersions in long-term photo-documentary projects I wrestled with a dual sense of connection and disconnection. People shared parts of their lives, often intimate, but only for brief moments and I began to think about this experience as a form of 'intimate distance' - part of me craved something more. It became apparent that my subconscious mind was imposing its will on the daily act of artistic expression: clearly, I was seeing similar things across vast geographical and temporal spaces because I was feeling those things very deeply, whether or not aware of it. The title refers to how these images function as stories within themselves (like film stills really). My interpretation of them rests on my own experiences, but I hope they are vague/intriguing enough to provoke or perhaps at least perturb, and create a narrative for others as well. At heart, I have always loved photography that poses more questions than answers and it was my aim to allow this series to deliver on that promise.