Longing, In Black
Inspired by early Italian and Flemish paintings, with their simple backgrounds and concentration on expression, the photographs in this series focus on relationships. For ten years I have been investigating the notion of closeness. My various projects, photographing families, friendships and individuals, gravitate to matters of intimacy, trust and vulnerability.
The photographs in this series depict a longing to be close. By eliminating embellishments, I try to put as little distance between the model and myself as possible. Suspended between a desire to communicate and the fear of being exposed, I describe the ambiguity of connections. Conveying both intensity and restraint, the pictures feel ambivalent. In their emotional complexity, they walk a tightrope between approval and rejection.
The process is intimate, intense and very present. For a moment we understand each other perfectly and in the end, I have a record of our connection.