Who are these ghost-like faces emerging from darkness? The
faces depicted in my photographs are those of subway passengers waiting
for a train at 125th Street in New York City. I videotaped them from the
bedroom window of my apartment, which overlooks the train platform,
while they waited alone, at night. The final gelatin-silver prints were
created using paper negatives of still images taken from this footage.
The
people depicted are isolated characters – deprived from their
environment and even from their bodies. You, as a hidden shooter, also
stand in a very isolated position towards your subjects. Would you say
this state of isolation is emblematic of living in a city, especially in
one like New York?The most interesting part about creating this
work was the opportunity to observe people while they were alone, or
believed they were alone, in a very public setting. The sense of
isolation experienced by the subject, and their reaction to it, is
evident in their facial expressions, which I have in turn isolated from
their surroundings. There are many levels of separation between myself
and subjects, subjects and their environment, and between subject and
final photograph, emphasizing the separateness and isolation one is
likely to sense when living in a city like New York.
You have
captured these people in a rare moment - when one forgets oneself and
gets lost in introspection. Would you define them as portraits?I
would not define these images as portraits in a traditional sense.
Throughout my image making process, the faces distort, blur, and at
times become so stripped of detail that they are virtually
unrecognizable. This body of work is not a series of portraits of
individuals, but rather a portrait of universal feelings, gestures and
expressions.
In a way, your images reflect a double
chiasmus: on the one hand, they create a very picturesque body of work
from poor quality, low-resolution media; on the other hand, they suggest
a marked sense of intimacy with these faces, although the subway is
essentially a place of anonymity.
To me, the images act as
mementos. While I have no idea who any of these people are, I’ve shared
with them a small moment in time, which ultimately left a lasting
impression on me. This sentiment is reflected in the way the images were
created, which enhanced the beauty and intrigue of each mysterious
face.
Limited edition, numbered and signed.