T H E D A Y S S P E N T I N B E D
The Days Spent in Bed
This series uses clinical minimalism to depict how one goes from sharing a bed and a home to then living in that same space alone.
I used natural early morning light to show some of the first scenes and thoughts as one is waking up. Silent daily rituals like getting dressed and eating breakfast once were shared but now are silent and introspective. In comparison to the color and vibrancy of a loving relationship, the world can seem colorless and empty when love disappears. The present and the shared memories are drained and strange. The aim here was to capture trying to move on while feeling the cold pressing silence that is the constant reminder of what was.
For me, a point of departure was the sterility of a hospital room. The bed before a breakup symbolized a place of togetherness, shared kisses and late night talks of dreams. But for someone newly single, the bed is only a place to sleep, or perhaps to cry for what was. Losing a partner and having to attempt to heal and go on as though they are unchanged is a hard mental journey. It is not unlike the trauma trying to recover from a recurring or ever-present illness while continuing a semblance of a normal life. This series shows an attempt at strength and resilience as one tries to look forward and accept the reality of being alone while looking back through new eyes at the intimacy and beauty of a life, even if an imperfect one, shared with a lover and partner.