Michelle Saffran

Melancholic Temperament In Troubling Times

This series started from a place of my unknowing. 

But, as time passed by and I continued to work, I began to understand.  These micro-environments I had staged and photographed were my attempt to gain control in an out-of-control situation.  Melancholic Temperament in Troubling Times was my effort at unraveling a deep confusion and feelings of loss triggered by the pandemic   The photographs reflect living life with a dread of what is yet to come paired with the recognition that life will never be the same.  The unknowing I experienced wasn't unique to me but an omnipotent presence that rules all of us.  We live in a world where we can't say, with any certainty, what tomorrow will bring.  Feelings of loss, sadness, fear, and loneliness have become part of our daily lives.  Living under the weight of not knowing has become our norm.  This work mirrors the wounding of hope and loss of the belief that the worst is behind us.  Series ongoing.