After moving here from India and spending a few wonderful years with my Aunt and Uncle, my family moved out on our own. First it was an apartment, and then a town home in a not so lovely neighborhood. At the time, it’s all we could afford as my parents were selflessly putting money away for my education to give me a life full of opportunity.
Being an only child, I was counting on making friends around me, but it didn’t happen. We were the new family on the street and some of the people there made it known that we weren’t welcome. We’d come home to find broken glass strewn across the floor from rocks thrown through the window and our roses all cut down in the garden. From the other kids, I was teased, threatened, and made to feel like I didn’t belong. Needless to say, I spent a lot of time indoors and on my own.
So I decided to make the best of it. I created a little world for my self in my room. I put up a giant red tent on my bed and surrounded it with my “friends” Tiger, Whale, and Alligator (my stuffed animals). They kept watch over me. Having to be on my own so much helped spark my imagination and it was incredible…the adventures I could embark on.
Those days changed me. Changed my perspective. Loneliness became solitude…and solitude became something remarkable. Something I cherish to this day.
I feel the idea of finding comfort in solitude is evident throughout my photography work which is directly influenced by the way I see the world. It was also the central idea in photographing my new friend Aubrey.
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Back then…
These images are a mixture of film, digital, and iphone shots. The music is one of my favorite songs of all time from one of my favorite bands… Sigur Ros.
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