I waited

i waited

by Natalie Christensen

Shadows and psychological metaphors are favored photographic subjects for me. My work as a psychotherapist called upon me to explore what is hidden from view, those aspects of the self or the environment that we want to turn away from or simply avoid. I was particularly influenced by the work of psychologist Carl Jung and exploration of the unconscious.

My interest is in investigating the more banal peripheral landscapes that often go unnoticed by the casual observer. I choose to shoot in locations that may be viewed as uninteresting or visually off-putting. Closed and open doors, empty parking lots and forgotten swimming pools draw me into a scene; yet it is my reactions to these objects and spaces that elicit interpretation and projection. This is exciting and challenging for me, to “see” something hiding in plain sight. The symbols and spaces are an invitation to explore a rich world concealed from consciousness and an enticement to contemplate narratives that have no remarkable life yet tap into something deeply familiar to our experience; often disturbing, sometimes amusing…unquestionably present. Sometimes I get a glimpse of the sublime in these ordinary places. When I find it, it feels like I have discovered gold..