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Prelude
2018 - 2020
(Work in Progress)

Prelude came to fruition during a complicative moment looking at my hands in the sunlight and seeing the skewed shadows it cast on my wall. I knew the light was fleeting so it felt imperative to photograph the moment before it was gone. I posed the question if I photograph the entire scene will I remember the feeling of looking and seeing? I took two photographs, one of my hands shaped like a bird and another of the shadow it cast. As the light past I knew photographing this experience of seeing something short lived and the ephemeral feeling it created would not be possible in a singular frame.
Each sequence is comprised of two to three photographs. The work adopts a visual structure inspired by cinematic storyboards and their function to pre-visualize and develop narratives. This structure allows the work to exist as both individual and collective works. Through creating these sequences, I am reminded of the stop-motion we experience in flip books. However, sequencing still images side by side disrupts the illusion of movement and allows the viewer to interpret the liminality between frames and consciously confront the familiarity in the pictured gestures. I believe this method of sequencing gives context to "the moment" that photographers look for while photographing.

This body of work became a way for me to start over and dissect how I view photography, time, motion, and the importance we place on a singular image. Through the production of this series, I am also able to reflect on where my photography practice began: in my bedroom photographing my existence.





© Michael Seleski, 2023