Writer Hanne Steen and photographer Carla Richmond, who we learned about on Beautiful/Decay, collaborated on the series Lovers Shirts. The photographs explore the complex emotions attached to the tokens associated with former loves — in this case, their shirts. “Through a meditative series of memory-provoking questions, the subject, wearing his or her lover’s or ex-lover’s shirt, focuses on their image in a mirror,” the project website reveals. “After sitting with their feelings and their own image reflected back at them for about ten minutes, we begin a conversation.” Through these talks, the emotions of participants begin to surface. “It feels like a flag I can’t stop flying. It comforts me in the meantime between the spaces,” one subject shares. “It’s just a rag I turned into a promise that he would never leave,” another states. The accompanying photos show the women in the throes of the heart-rending reflections, but several participants clearly experience great joy when revisiting the memories. Take a closer look in our gallery.
Photo credit: Carla Richmond, collaboration with Hanne Steen
Photo credit: Carla Richmond, collaboration with Hanne Steen
Photo credit: Carla Richmond, collaboration with Hanne Steen
Photo credit: Carla Richmond, collaboration with Hanne Steen
Photo credit: Carla Richmond, collaboration with Hanne Steen
Photo credit: Carla Richmond, collaboration with Hanne Steen
Photo credit: Carla Richmond, collaboration with Hanne Steen
Photo credit: Carla Richmond, collaboration with Hanne Steen
Photo credit: Carla Richmond, collaboration with Hanne Steen
Photo credit: Carla Richmond, collaboration with Hanne Steen
Photo credit: Carla Richmond, collaboration with Hanne Steen
Photo credit: Carla Richmond, collaboration with Hanne Steen