This series seems to hit people hard that view it and rightfully so because I designed it like that. The picture series of about 20 images shows a woman living her worst nightmare, isolation dealing with her own thoughts.
When I was in High School I dual enrolled in PHCC (Pasco Hernando Community College) during my junior year. I took a course in sociology and found it fascinating. During that class I learned about a girl named “Genie”. Her story will break you apart especially after seeing her beautiful face (below)
Genie was a young woman who’s parents abused her so badly that when she was found, she had the mind of an infant. This took place in the early 70s. Genie made some strides but the abuse was so great that she slipped back into her native state.
Genie was unable to talk, care for herself and function as a living human. She is what they call “Failure to Thrive”. Regardless how much they worked with her she would always be dependent on someone.
Her parents tied her up and kept her in a small closet never seeing the light of day except for rare instances. She lived in her own feces and did so for over 12 years with little to no adult interaction as she developed and grew.
Genie was stuck to live in total isolation with only her thoughts. Tell me that isn’t terrifying.
I also observe people all the time, many don’t know I am doing so but as I observe people and living situations I learn a lot about humanity. One thing that stuck out in my mind was when a husband or wife who lived together for decades together dies. Have you ever noticed that the other doesn’t survive much longer in most cases.
The reason is that they are heartbroken and despite the fact they have friends and family around it doesn’t fill the absolute void in their heart from their lost loved one. Essentially their artery is cut from this death but instead of a fast death from bleeding out, they slowly fade away in probably one of the worst ways possible.
One instance I’ve seen of this happens when I drive by the Trinity Memorial Gardens on my way to work everyday. Outside is a cremation crypt if you will. Everyday, unless it rains, I see an elderly man who sits in a folding chair and reads next to his wife’s grave. He can’t find it in his heart to not go by that grave and be with the remains of his wife. When she died, he died with her except he was still alive!
He did this from 2012 to 2013. Sadly he doesn’t come by anymore, now his grave sit’s next to her as the emptiness slowly overcame him.
Humans are social creatures like it or not. We thrive with love and touch and when that fades away for whatever reason (natural or by our own hands) it can literally kill us. I’ve seen brilliant individuals full of life turn into recluses who whither away. Some of them even start to lose their ability to communicate on an educated level in both writing and verbal communication. It’s like they are evolving back to our neanderthal heritage.
In this series we depict the Saxon House again. It’s a dreary background that compliments the feelings of this series perfectly. You see a woman who is alone, wasting the day away waiting for someone or something to come and claim her from her jail cell (her own body and mind). As the time goes by she slowly grows more restless and regresses.
The series was inspired by a song written and performed by two amazing young boys who call themselves “Holes and Hearts”. The song is “Shake the Cage”.
Nobody wants to end up like the woman in this series. The scary part is, we all face the reality of it and there is no way to prevent it. We just have to pray that at the time we face this truth, we are strong enough to avoid it’s cold grasp.
This has always been my fear but my constitution is so strong and I have lived as an individual without many friends for so long that I have shaken off the cold grasp of this reality yet I still walk with one foot barely crossing the line.
To see the whole series go to our gallery and visit “Dreams, Nightmares, Fears and Fantasy” Volume 1
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