| A Cartography of Solitude is a contemplation of the enormous range of thoughts and emotions that can come from being alone, whether it’s actually being physically apart from other people, or just feeling that way. As those of us in the US begin to come out of this long year of social distancing, I've been thinking about the variety of ways people respond to isolation.
For myself, I’ve usually been extremely comfortable being on my own. Solo travel and camping in remote locations with my camera offer me time to reflect on my life and the world, and I find the experience of being alone in remote places remarkable. I've had the opportunity to stay in and photograph many places that aren’t just remote, but seem to radiate a heaviness of isolation - the Southwest desert, the wide open and unpopulated spaces of Wyoming, forgotten highways in the midwest where it's rare to pass another car and easy to pull over and set up a camera tripod - and they are some of my favorite travel experiences. But when it’s not intentional, or chosen it can also be tough, and like so many others, I’ve found the last year of not traveling and not seeing friends socially, especially difficult. As we start to take baby steps back towards normalcy, my hope is that these photographs of isolated places, and these stories from myself and others will offer a reflective exploration of all these aspects of solitude and more. I can't wait to share it.
A Cartography of Solitude will open on Friday, May 14th and run though June 12th. The gallery will be open 12p - 5p Fridays through Sundays, or you can come by any evening from 8p - midnight to view and listen from outside. If you're coming during gallery hours, bring a set of headphones or earbuds to listen (we'll supply the device). If you come by at night, bring your headphones and a portable FM radio. You can make appointments for gallery hours at the Prizer Arts and Letters website.
As part of this, I'd like to ask you to share a story about solitude from your life for others to listen to. It can be anything that word connects with in your mind - maybe a time that you felt alone, in a positive or negative way, or perhaps thoughts about travel or living somewhere different, or what it's been like to not see people during the pandemic, or maybe a desire for some alone time. I'd like to hear anything you have to say, and to mix your story in with mine and others, if you don't mind. You can write it down and send it to me via email, stephen at fluxiondesigns.com. Or even better, you can record it by hitting the button below.
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Catastrophe Theory Workshops, founded by Stephen Pruitt, is a venture born out of the desire to create original work and explore storytelling and performance in a low-risk experimental format, with an emphasis on collaboration and an interest in science and the arts. We’d tell you more, but frankly it’s a bit of an adventure and we’re never quite sure where it will go. For more information about projects or Catastrophe Theory Arts email us. |