Falling Not Flying 2014
Falling Not Flying is a series of photographic and video works that meditate upon the precarious balance between life and death. Created in response to Yves Klein’s iconic Leap Into The Void (1960), this project explores transcendence and the dreaded consequences of everyday activity of both body and ego.
The works observe almost quotidian moments in which humans are literally “hanging by a thread” or “standing on the edge,” depicting ice climbers rappelling down deep crevasses in Patagonia, thrill seekers riding a swing carousel in a Paris amusement park, and leaping figures in Japan. In freezing these moments of ultimate vulnerability, this series seeks to present a moment of vertigo to ask why we seek out these self-induced and nauseating moments of suspension to create thrilling but ultimately false feelings of flight and freedom.
Falling Not Flying delves into both psychological and physical worlds, freezing reality at purposefully ominous moments (as opposed to Klein’s more playful photomontage), exploring how the suspension of time and space can alter the perceptions and sensations of the void, questioning how we confront our inner realities, traumas, and transformations.
PHOTOS
Falling Not Flying I – III
2000/14
Digital Photos
60cm x 34cm
Edition 1/8
Suspension I – III
2007
Digital Photos
38cm x 68 cm
Edition 1/4
Flying I – VI
2014
Digital Photo
20cm x 30cm
Each photo 10x10cm
Edition 1/10