"On Longing" Response

"The body is the primary mode of perceiving scale."

In this photo, I am holding up a clear quartz point, which is one of my most important crystals because I believe it to retain the energy of a friend of mine who is an intuitive, two-spirit Native American. I was observing the different facets of it when I took this picture and realized that I wanted the focus to be on my mom looking out of the window in the background. The size of the crystal in the image compared to the size of my mom in the image makes it seem as though my mom was very far away when she was actually within two feet of me. I enjoy that the buildings outside of the window make my mom look rather small here as well.

"...capacity of objects to serve as traces of authentic experience..."

I believe that this image suits this quote because it was the first crystal I ever bought for myself, and I bought it when my friend, Michael, and I were at one of our favorite stores in Jacksonville. I saw this piece of Bismuth, having absolutely no idea what it was or that I would end up collecting crystals about a year after this photo was taken, and I was drawn to it and had to take it home with me. Now that I have it amongst my other crystals, it holds a special place in my heart because it is the only crystal I have that has been with me from before one of my most difficult experiences and still remains after that transition. It reminds me of the good times from before the point of losing my two closest friends even though I am in a different place now.

"The souvenir reduces the public, the monumental, and the three-dimensional into the miniature, that which can be enveloped by the body."

I have collected dreamcatchers from a very young age. The first ones I ever had were given to me by my meme. She bought them up in Cherokee, North Carolina. As I grew up, my interest in dreamcatchers as an art form and a representation of Native American culture grew. Once I started collecting them, I would find them in so many different places and always looked for unusual designs. I feel that this image is a good representation of this quote, considering that dreamcatchers are a well-known symbol of Native American culture and have allowed me to keep a piece of that art form and tradition with me throughout the years. I even keep a small one on my keys at all times.

"Nostalgia cannot be sustained without loss."

I took this picture when I was sitting along the St. Johns River underneath the Fuller Warren Bridge with my best friend, Marc. Any time I think about the day I took this photo or see others from that day, I can't help but think about how much fun it was. We had gone to the Riverside Arts Market in Avondale to pass out fliers for our art teacher about an event, and we decided to walk around and take some time to sit, observe, and breathe. The fact that this photo is in black and white and that I cannot see our faces adds to the sense of nostalgia that I carry with me. Even though our emotions are not visible here and even though this photo is from a different time in both of our lives, I have the memories.

"To have a souvenir of the exotic is to possess both a specimen and a trophy."

I became extremely intrigued with Latin American, specifically South American, culture and artwork when I was in my junior and senior year of high school after a kid from Colombia who spoke no English was transferred into my Spanish class. This experience made me think differently about the ability to speak a language other than your own and the understanding that comes from observation of other cultures. This photo shows a wall in my room back in Orange Park that I covered with different Hispanic artwork that I either found over time or had given to me as gifts. I have pieces that were made in Mexico, Peru, Panama, and the Colombian flag. I even found some of these pieces in antique shops throughout St. Augustine. When I see these sculptures, carvings, and woven banners, I feel as though I possess a piece of each of these Latin American countries, and what's great is that they're just beautiful works to look at.