WINTER’S NIGHT
I can’t think of anyone I know who hasn’t been impacted by mental illness. Shrouded by shame and fear, mental illness touches us all but remains unseen and undiscussed.
From personal experience I can say that it is hard to reach out. It can be exhausting to pretend that we are fine, and even to gather the strength to muster “I am well, thank you” when asked, superficially, how we are. Yet it is imperative that we talk about it. That we shatter the shame, that we let ourselves be helped or open hearts to truly listen and help.
I created the following series in collaboration with Brin Schoellkopf, Renata Commisso, Kyra Jean Green and an inspiring team from Spanish dance company La Veronal. These shoots were in many ways cathartic and authentic. There’s no point in trying to express what mental illness is if you’re not willing to be vulnerable about it. So this is us, being vulnerable about it, beyond words.
Credits: Circus artist/ Brin Schoellkopf. Assistant / Jorge Rivas
“My heart is a prison of Have you tried?s
Have you tried exercising? Have you tried eating better?
Have you tried not being sad, not being sick? ”
Lithium for joan of Arc
Credit: Special collaboration with Kyra Jean Green and La Veronal. Assistant / Jorge Rivas
“¿Cómo fue Dios quedándose sordo y mudo y ausente, irremediablemente atrás como la aurora?”
― Rosario Castellanos, La trayectoria del polvo
Credits: Dancer / Renata Commisso. Assistant / Jorge Rivas
“I desire the things that will destroy me in the end”
― Sylvia Plath