I am drawn to homelessness, the conditions that they have to survive in, and their economic limitations. I'm drawn to the spirit of those individuals and am interested in breaking the stereotypes we force on them. We lose them as people because we view them as a nuisance. I am executing a commentary that redirects the viewer from the surface value of the individual (face value) to their own perspective which is influenced by society. These images of lost homeless individuals are intended to bring awareness of their plight. By portraying their absence I am making their presence known.
The selective black and white subjects enhance the stereotype of the homeless being nothing. Through the use of found items in my work, such as someone’s belongings, I direct the focus to the few belongings they own. The cardboard signs specifically create a tension between the clean frames that they are going to be supported by. I will create multiple scenes of the homeless in central environments or them in their “home.” These photos create scenes that are beautiful in the simplicity of black and white, but very sad for the feeling of lost we experience towards them. I make a commentary on what we consider junk is one of the main sources of survival for these individuals. Junk is to “…discard or abandon unceremoniously” such as we do with the homeless. These, 12X16 photos, photos will be centered around the homeless plight and their valued property. Another grid will feature their voices.
Sixteen photos in a 4X4 grid will feature their torn hands and physical body in black and white with the sign they are holding in color. The signs will be a testament to the unspoken words that are normally ignored. The unspoken words being the subject allows us to see not only the conditions of the homeless but also the lost voices of our century. It will be a testament to the problems our economy is facing. The reason they are nameless is the fact we view them as less.