mollyhayes:
Good photographs say as much about the subject as they do about the photographer. In approaching people with respect and interest, and allowing them to reveal themselves, we reveal a bit of ourselves in the process. This body of work is meant to show people from a place in a time, while stripping away the context of environment which gives the viewer clues about that place and time. The obvious attributes of race, size, age, wealth, and class give way to simple humanity. When viewed as a large collection it becomes a game of compare and contrast. Photographing people against a blank background allows the viewer to give himself over to this visual game. Stand back and squint and you are surround by people and colors. The work starts to speak about diversity and sameness.
Since I was 14, portrait making has been a way for me to understand people . The motivation has always been the same, while the approach changes to meet my own needs as well as those of the project, or the subject. Growing older is difficult and also graceful, as each year passes with the release of a few more insecurities and indiscretions of youth. As I move further into an adulthood which is unsettled and far from the life that my younger self imagined, I am coming to realize that my lifelong desire to make portraits is part of a larger desire to connect with others on an intimate level. To have a moment of shared experience and understanding can bridge a wide gap of social, economical, generational, and geographical circumstances- a moment of simple fascination devoid of judgement. The differences stand out, while a thread of equality prevails.
This is the newest chapter in a large body of work in this vein. It is my hope to replicate this set-up at a variety of places and events around the country which exist as veritable melting pots, and to use portraits to continue illustrating both our uniqueness and our universal bonds.
This is beautiful Molly.
