SPACES
During August and September 2021, we explored “Spaces” as our inaugural photography assignment. We chose spaces because they exist everywhere. Spaces can be tangible or figurative. They are created by design or develop organically as people and other living things interact with the world around them. Spaces truly are “the unlimited or incalculably great three-dimensional realm or expanse in which all material objects are located and all events occur” as defined by dictionary.com.
Hugh
Spaces, large or small, are always defined by their boundaries. I was interested in how individuals acted within these boundaries in urban spaces. Sometimes the boundaries created spaces. At other times, the individual created their own space within these boundaries.
These photographs were taken in Canary Wharf, London, England during August 2021.
Kris
For this months assignment, Spaces, I thought about the idea that spaces, while fixed in physical size, could be energetically fluid when considering the lives of people that live within them. Perception as reality.
The space my wife and I occupy in Chicago is quite small, and during the height of the pandemic we were home together more often. The walls seemed to close in and our collective level of aggravation was heightened. The size of the space remained constant, yet our circumstances had been radically altered.
Outdoor urban spaces emptied, expanded, and muted themselves. What could only be experienced on an early Sunday morning in the past was now happening on a regular basis. Even as things open back up, it’s possible that these spaces are forever changed as people develop new habits and ways of living.
These photographs were taken in downtown Chicago, Illinois, USA during August 2021.
Tim
This space is located in a small town service station in the Blue Mountains. It has been transformed as a result of the second phase of lock down in the state due to the Covid-19 delta variant outbreak which began in Sydney in July 2021. A space once used for dining, enjoying a coffee, taking a break or simply waiting for take away has now become purposeless. Society's need to manage a pandemic has put a barrier around some of our spaces, leaving them waiting for a place in our new future.
These photographs were taken in Mt.Victoria, New South Wales, Australia during August 2021.
Jeff
Last summer, my urban playground of light and shadows was violently stolen from me. The events of that day left a void inside me, a space in my creative soul. A space that could only be filled through time and the pursuit of new photographs. But where? Where could I go to see the world with a fresh perspective? Where should I go to make new pictures?
I needed a new muse - a welcoming, safe space where I could focus on making photographs without uneasiness or fear. Spaces of emptiness, minimalism, and naturally occurring silence. Spaces where I could find solitude - an escape from the stresses and busyness of work and home life. Thankfully, I found a new muse in nearby rural Minnesota.
These photographs were taken west of the Twin Cities in rural Minnesota USA during August and September 2021.
Kevin
As the sun sets on the ‘Summer of 2021’, the summer of re-emergence from some of our darkest hours, I find myself feeling an overwhelming appreciation for the places, and spaces, we returned to in the past several months.
The places we live, the places we work, and the places we gather, have once again brought us together. And even though we still have serious challenges to face, we can only overcome them together, as one family.
Now, the crowds have left, and the doors have been shuttered, but the memories of the ‘Summer of 2021’ remain. These meaningful places, wherever they are, will always hold a very special ‘space’ in our hearts.
These photographs were taken on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, USA during Summer 2021.