MANIFESTO – photography by Rosaline Shahnavaz – words by Kate Eringer – book available here
I saw a woman in the street and mutually we averted our eyes. A barista passed me my coffee and I tensed up as our hands touched momentarily against the paper cup. I brushed past a girl in Wholefoods whom I recognized, but had never met. I felt a deep comfort as I took in her soft auburn hair and overalls. We both turned our heads back to look at each other once more, only to speed up our pace in embarrassment for wanting to see a stranger. Why did I look back at her? I don’t know. I didn’t talk to her and find out.
between You and Me is a movement towards connection and away from encasement.
between You and Me is a photographic, neo-documentary on friendship and chance encounter.
To explore the limits you must expand them. You mustn’t be afraid of judgment and equally you should not act solely on those judgments, which you will inevitably pass on others.
I followed a man in the street because he looked like an old friend, though shared none of the same features.
or
I saw a woman three times in one day, all in different neighborhoods.
or
A friend from nursery and I attended the same party, where I knew few people and instantly we recognized one another.
or
I will not shut doors I will open them I will walk through them I will hold them open for others
or
Your life is what you do with these facts, these moments which will so often seem entirely non consequential.
we want to experiment how well you can know somebody – will you ever know someone better than the coffee barista whose hand touches yours? Whose ring prompts you to congratulate her on her engagement. Whose blonde hair is sun streaked even in the rainy London weather, explained by her accent, which you find out is New Zealand. Will we ever understand you better than we understand her, should we let ourselves?
The camera understands this dichotomy of capture and release. It is at once with and without the subject. It is close, but will never and could never be inside the frame. Provoking questions like – can we ever exist within our own narrative, or does it simply unfold around us?
or does it simply unfold as we allow it to?
