Canadian photographer Ava Margueritte explores different narratives to document physical reactions to other emotional states. Absorbing her surroundings, Margueritte’s placid and contemplative work evaluates the connection between body and mind.
“My whole life, I have been trying to forget the only world I know, wondering if there is a place for me to exist. There is somewhere that I fit— it’s just not in the realm of my current reality. The truth of knowing I do exist gives me hope. North Bay, my hometown, has largely shaped who I am as an individual; however, I’ve never properly photographed the area because it’s such a great source of pain for me. I wanted to capture feelings that I was unable to verbalize and to focus on the odd things I hold dear. This book examines my life growing up. Family dynamics are shifting and forcing me to let go of a comfortable reality. There is the event and the deconstruction. Can we grow without adversity?
I explore concepts like the temporary, change, meaning in the ordinary, and external factors (or history) that impact us as individuals. One Mile features intimate moments, portraits, self-portraits, still life, architecture, and landscape taken on medium format film. This is an ongoing project that examines human dynamics between people, mortality, and time.
By approaching real-world problems that are out of my control, the camera allows space to regain an element of control that I crave. Every photograph I take within this process is an attempt to regain control. As children, we fantasize that being an adult will be blissful and things will fall into place, but it is not that easy. We are continually navigating envy, loneliness, and trauma; trying to make sense of how our minds and bodies fit into the world surrounding us. There is no such thing as permanence: things are always in motion. There are external factors that impact our lives every day, altering our path and the way we process the world.
When we think of photography, we believe that it represents reality. I beg to differ. The choices that go into the photograph demonstrate the relationship between our mind interacting with the outside world, like light, geometry, geography, mixed with the artists’ personal feelings and the subject matter. Photography is so subjective that it becomes the only way to relay these experiences. It is not a medium of connection but disconnection.
Some days I feel like I was born in two pieces: one half I know intimately; the other I only connect with through the photographic process. The rest of the time I feel as though I fumble around unknowingly. We all have an inner world and this series is a part of mine.
One Mile is a form of visual poetry that allows me to connect authentically and vulnerably with others through darkness that we often ignore. I have an obsession with light and film allows me to adequately capture it. The richness of colour, lighting, alongside my subject matter, alludes to my own personal struggle with romanticism in relationship to my lived experiences regarding trauma and mental health.”
Cody is the Editor in Chief and senior contributor at liminul.
He is a photography aficionado, fashion enthusiast, avid Lana Del Rey fan, and lover of all things aesthetically pleasing.
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