Silent video still projection.

I have long contemplated a project in which I interview men about their lives, particularly their emotional lives. While the project I envision (The Man Project) is much more far-reaching than this one, Sympathetic Observations is a step in that direction.

I am compelled to understand emotional intimacy and our often-present and overriding fear that prevents it.

True intimacy takes time, yet we can discern so much from delicate bodily cues, the downward glance, the quiet breath, that gets lost in the cacophony of verbal communication.

Each creative project is, as is any relationship, an act of discovery. Sometimes thrilling and exciting, sometimes frightening and shocking. My greatest surprise while working on this project was my own response to it.

I didn’t expect to be so touched by their unquestioning willingness to be vulnerable in front of the camera. Nor did I expect to feel so protective of them and so uncomfortable with the power I possessed behind the camera.

The participants were given a list of ten subjects and activities from which they chose three to respond to or perform in front of a video camera. Stills were selected from a frame-by-frame viewing of the footage and projected on the gallery wall.