Proof of Life:  Clues I Will Leave You

“Proof of Life: Clues I Will Leave You” is a photographic series paired with poetry that explores presence and invites viewers to pay attention to all the ways our eventual absence might manifest.  I confront my own transience through use of self-portrait and by imagining how my loved ones will experience the spaces I once inhabited. 

I am not alone in experiencing moments when I felt the presence of someone that died, and for me, these moments were as if drapery to another world was opened; as if time became impermeable for a brief second.

Getting older and showing signs of age in our culture is not often celebrated. I have discovered that trying to talk about mortality with some friends can be a buzzkill, but for me, moving towards what I don’t understand with curiosity is calming. This self-expression has been intense and yet, provided me with a sense of peace.

We can become terrified when we allow ourselves to be aware of our dwindling days. Some waste their final years in a holding pattern, frozen and unable to feel the gift of being alive. I am choosing a different perspective. By paying attention to simple moments, I hope to share with you a legacy of celebration, and encourage recognition of the temporary miracle we have each been gifted.