Veronique Boyens’ photography series, At a Distance, embraces a new normal as the globe moved into lockdown and a period of isolation.
“Originally, I was planning on touring the United States in my Kia minivan for five months, capturing self-portraits on location as I usually do. But I had to reverse course and hunker down after only two weeks on the road due to the invasion of the coronavirus. In that short period of time, I was still able to observe America during this strange time. I was looking at a country thrown off balance, put on pause, frozen, switching off. The few people I encountered were static, in the close proximity of their homes, and would stare at me being the only thing moving around in their neighborhood. I had that feeling of being out of place, unwelcome, not serene. I longed for a place to be.”
“I decided to use landscapes as the backdrops for scenes that could or should exist in my imagination. I then shot myself, my minivan and a friend of mine in the same conditions, utilising light and perspective to form the tableaux. Unconsciously, I was narrating my journey in a figurative way.”
Boyens utilises photography to turn ordinary moments into something extraordinary – capturing the small, nondescript objects or gestures that usually go unnoticed. During a time of unusual emptiness and isolation, every small nuanced compositional element becomes extraordinary on its own, whilst time and place are in suspension.
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Credits: All images from At A Distance (2020) © Véronique Boyens.
1. Image title: 35°30’55.3″N 76°01’19.8″W, Engelhard, NC (2020)Digital pigment print, Image size: 76 x 114 cm / 30 x 45 in.© Veronique Boyens.
2. Image title: 34°26’38.4″N 78°12’54.8″W, Kelly, NC (2020)Digital pigment print, image size: 76 x 114 cm / 30 x 45 in.© Veronique Boyens.
3. Image title: 32°04’11.2″N 82°54’01.2″W, McRae-Helena, GA (2020), Digital pigment print, Image size: 76 x 114 cm / 30 x 45 in. © Veronique Boyens.
4. Image title: 35°45’58.3″N 75°31’16.3″W, Nags Head, NC (2020), Digital pigment print, Image size: 76 x 114 cm / 30 x 45 in.©Veronique Boyens.
