We Are All in This Together

While living in Manhattan for two years, I observed people sharing the busiest public spaces in New York City: the subway trains. From an ethnology point of view, I compared and analyzed the characteristics of different individuals and the relationships between them. The pictures for We Are All in This Together were taken without the subjects’ knowledge, in order to achieve the desired spontaneity. I used the camera on my mobile phone to blend more seamlessly into the environment. I focused on the lower part of the bodies, to direct viewers’ attention to body language and other physical details, revealing a glimpse of each subject's personality. Manhattan is a city in which one constantly navigates the thin line that divides what is public and what is private. Observing the private moments of individuals in the shared public space of the subway led me to appreciate how challenging and complex it can be for members of a diverse population to marry their private and public persona.