Maps
A place belongs forever to whoever claims it hardest, remembers it most obsessively, wrenches it from itself, shapes it, renders it, loves it so radically that he remakes it in his own image...
Welcome to my latest project, Maps. This series is a personal exploration of the routes from my childhood, which I’m only now beginning to fully understand.
I've shared some of these images with you before, and I'm excited to delve deeper into what these paths represent.
This project explores the intricate map of memory and place, specifically the transport routes and locations tied to my complex childhood.
As a child, we frequently moved from location to location, repeatedly severing connections with my family and friends over my formative years. This resulted in my undertaking lengthy solitary commutes to retain a connection with the places I’d known as ‘home’.
In my memories, it was always night; always winter.
“A place belongs forever to whoever claims it hardest, remembers it most obsessively, wrenches it from itself, shapes it, renders it, loves it so radically that he remakes it in his own image.” (DIDION 1979:111)
As an adult, my desire to repeatedly return to these places has grown. I have begun to realise that I’m not just exorcising ghosts; I’m searching to reclaim the parts of me that were left behind all those years ago.
“I am out with lanterns, looking for myself.” (DICKINSON 1986:22)
My intention with Maps is to explore the universal human experience of memory, nostalgia and its connections. I encourage those who view my work to contemplate their own emotional landscapes.
What follows are a few of my own maps.
Nat, April 2024.
Awesome! I love this concept. I appreciate how you are including transportation as part of your maps. I grew up in the country so a map of photographs would show a lot of long, winding roads, but I’ve also lived in San Francisco Bay Area. That means I spent a lot of time on buses and trains. Transportation indeed becomes location.
Gorgeous, Nat! The photos, and the layout.
(I’ve been struggling with InDesign the last couple of weeks creating my business card, so this motivates me to keep going with it despite the frustrations so I can eventually create photo books and portfolios.)