Submission

In Dualities I seek to present the internal and external lives of people that have bipolar or major depressive disorder. Each component of this body of work consists of two portraits. One shows the subject presented, as they want to be seen to the outside world; in contrast, the other portrait is set in the space where they retreat into solitary moods. Under the images are captions, handwritten by the subjects, about what they feel or think about in each state of mind. As a person who suffers from bipolar 2, I am acutely aware of the dualities of life that people with this illness face. We have an internal life, that we rarely share and an exterior persona, as witnessed by acquaintances and colleagues. These photographs offer a peek into the subject’s dual nature. I begin creating a photograph by getting to know my subject. I meet with them over coffee and just talk. It is important to establish a rapport with one another in order to make a connection between photographer and subject. We discuss how they would like to set up the photographs. I give the subject control over the setting. They decide where they want to be photographed and what they will be doing. After I print the photograph, the subject writes on the images. My aim is to expose the hidden diseases of depression and bi-polar disorder. Sufferers feel they must mask their symptoms in order to function in the outside world. I seek to give a glimpse to the viewer, about the internal lives of people who struggle with disorders that are often misunderstood.