Thinking About Photography
Dedicated to expanding our ideas about photography
The Flow of Light Brushes the Shadow
Travel, whether for pleasure or business, can create a sense of adventure or become a source of anxiety. I am impacted by the latter. Anxiety is considered one of the most prevalent health conditions globally. It is an elusive and silent condition that affects an estimated 40 million adults in the U.S. and 284 million adults worldwide. There are many forms and varieties of anxiety, and this project is my way to visualize and come to grips with how anxiety affects me.
©Douglas Stockdale, Transition
©Douglas Stockdale, Tension in the Air
I initiated the project at a time when I did not understand the underlying reasons for the nervous tension I felt while traveling extensively for my professional career. I struggled to comprehend my feelings of alienation, apprehension, melancholy and isolation.
©Douglas Stockdale, Apprehension
©Douglas Stockdale, State of Flux
I felt as though my presence created only the faintest impression on anyone I encountered. I felt like an apparition, a ghostly soul who existed only temporarily, a fleeting and momentary presence, like the flow of light brushing a shadow.
©Douglas Stockdale, Tension
My resulting artist book is in part cathartic while attempting to increase anxiety awareness, as anxiety is the number one mental health condition worldwide. It is also known as the 'silent killer' due to the difficulty in its diagnosis, frequently going undetected for an individual's entire life.
As a book designer, I attempt to incorporate many subtle elements related to my underlying concept into the layout, sequencing and subsequent hand-binding. Such as not trimming the remaining waxed binding thread after pamphlet stitching the artist book as a physical metaphor that the visual narrative found within has some loose ends. Likewise the book's cover is composed of two sheets; a printed text lies underneath a layer of translucent vellum, and depending on how the book is held, the text will appear to go and out of focus, much like how one deals with anxiety on a daily basis. Some days are better than others.