Committed

I am exploring the idea of abandonment, specifically, how it is related to suicide. Someone who commits suicide is leaving behind their loved ones. In our society, suicide is a notion that most do not enjoy discussing due to it being an unsettling and uncomfortable topic. Sadly, it is something that occurs every day. I want to bring light to this problem and have more people thinking and talking about suicide. 

            I photograph abandoned environments that emphasize a feeling of emptiness and being deserted. These places are left and are not cared for anymore; though at one point in time they were full of life. In Committed, there is context from suicide letters in a small text, located at the bottom of each photo. I only use two letters for this body of work. One of them is from my older brother and the other is from my boyfriend at the time. They had either attempted or committed suicide within the same year. The dialogue of each letter does not have a specific connection to the photo it is paired with, but each letter has its own location. For example, I photographed an entire deserted home for one letter. When combined, the text and the photos give the viewers a sense of emptiness similar to how one feels when contemplating suicide. The last series of images for Committed, display different ways that one could commit suicide. These scenes represent an empty feeling after someone committed to death. 

            Suicide is dirty, painful and unexpected. It is something that we sadly deal with in our society that no one expects to happen to their loved ones. Viewers will gain a new outlook after seeing my photos of disgusting, forgotten environments and after reading the uncomfortable text that is under each photo.