Why “Sleep”
For the last two years, I’ve been photographing people sleeping in public spaces. When I first started shooting, I was motivated by a concept that goes back to the works of Edgar Allen Poe: sleep allows us an escape from a nightmarish reality. Against the ever frantic backdrop of New York City, it was a simple narrative to apply.
But the more people I photographed, the less convinced I was was the people in these photos were escaping a nightmare. Any reality in which they could slip into unconsciousness in the presence of complete strangers isn’t nightmarish or threatening: it’s nurturing.
Whether the subjects of these photos hide under blankets, or nestle their heads against bus windows, door frames, and loved ones, their choice to sleep among strangers requires vulnerability, surrender to their surroundings, and an inherent trust in the people around them.
Camera: Leica M7
Film: Kodak TriX 400
Camera: Leica M7
Film: Kodak TriX 400