Photographer Jennifer McClure has an emotionally-charged project titled ‘You Who Never Arrived’ in which she explores her failed relationships through a series of intimate photographs.
Placing herself in front of the camera, she stages scenes in hotel rooms, using ‘stand-ins’ to play the role of her previous partners.
Through imaginary scenarios with past lovers, she attempts to find out where her relationships might have failed and uncover patterns in them.
In an interview with Feature Shoot, McClure said she was inspired by Raymond Carver’s short stories, especially those from What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.
She initially set out to re-enact the events from a story called ‘Gazebo’ where a couple retreat to a hotel room to discuss their marriage, but as shooting progressed, the dynamic shifted to discussing their own relationships.
Most of the actors were friends and acquaintances whom she trusted to be open with, and she shot in hotel rooms to reflect the “unlived in and impersonal” feel of her relationships. McClure explained the details of each situation, and directed them on how to act out their roles.
It was a cathartic and difficult experience that made her confront her deep-seated fear of commitment, and ultimately brought closure.
“I thought I was going to find out what was wrong with all of the men I dated. I had assumed that I was ready for a grown-up relationship and that I simply wasn’t choosing well. After hearing what all of the stand-ins had to say about my actions and my behavior, I saw that I always ran away when things started to get serious. I was afraid to let anyone get too close, and I much preferred fantasy over reality. I always shot before the men arrived (when I was still right) and after they left (when I was so very wrong). The most devastating photos to me are the ones I shot the mornings after.”
The scenes were improvised without storyboards, giving them a moody, cinematic quality which McClure said was inspired by the movies of David Lynch and Wong Kar-Wai.
View some pictures below and browse the entire set here.
[via Feature Shoot, images via Jennifer McClure]