Anna and I met only two years ago at the start of our studies at North Bennet Street School. As our friendship developed we began sending photographs to each other while apart on vacation or weekend trips to NYC. After our recent graduation this pass June, Anna was going to be spending the whole summer away from Boston. So in a way, this year long project was inspired by Anna, plus my desire to stay in contact as she traveled around. Anna is the sweetest and kindest person I’ve ever met, plus her passion for life and food on top of her commitment to friendships are highly contagious. In short, she’s a splendid cook and baker, a skilled bookbinder, inspiring runner and the perfect invite to the movies or bar or restaurant or bookshop or where ever.
INTERVIEW:
First of all I want to thank you again for being my first collaborator on this project. You showed so much enthusiasm right at the beginning and throughout our month long interaction!
Through these series of glimpses into your life, I felt l like I got an intimate opportunity to experience your summer with you. Not only did I get to see exciting aspects of your day, but also the commonplace activities (like going to the library or noticing that you were bleeding). Each picture was somewhat of a mystery to the activities that led you to that moment. What has been your reaction to this collaboration?
I was so grateful to get a small view into your every day world while we were in different parts of the country for the summer! Your photography style has always been an inspiration to me and it was fun for me to try and get creative with my own photos.
The exciting moments for me, was when our photographs synchronized (for example Day Twenty and Day Twenty-Seven). It was sort of serendipitist, knowing you were engaging in the same activity at the exact moment I was. Were you as aware of these similarities as I was?
I was aware and surprised by these similarities in our photo sharing! It was a delight to think that there was so much overlap in our days at different points–it made me feel more connected, even if I felt a bit removed from everything at the farm north of Seattle or in Aspen.
DAY TWENTY
Out of our collections of photographs, I think my favorite is a tie between Day Nine and Day Twenty-nine. Day Nine is another serendipitist moment between the skies looming over Boston and Aspen; the photographs merge nicely into one another. The angle of Trinity Church in my photograph is extended into the building’s silhouette of your photograph. Day Twenty-nine is great in a comical way. I love that the banana slug is facing towards my feet, as if about to face an impending doom (according to your caption). Do you have any favorites from the collection?
Since I love photos of food, I am especially struck by our fun exchanges full of color here: day 26, day 24, and day 12 for example. I also liked the more mundane shots of quieter moments: days 10 and 11 for example.
DAY TWENTY-SIX
Thank you so much, Erin, for inviting me to collaborate with you! It’s inspired more documentation of and attention to the beautiful in the everyday. I look forward to working on future projects with you!
