the idea of the 'individual' is something constantly lingering in my thoughts.
as individuals, we have unique backgrounds, families, problems, and wishes that differ from any others, even if only slightly. to peer into lives that are not ours is a rare chance and rarely given. it offers perspective and makes us feel not-so-bad about our own perceived struggles in our own lives. this is why i had to photograph ‘here where you wish’ at the kansas city public library.
ryan wilks is a kansas city artist who conceived & executed a public altar space called 'here where you wish' in collaboration with ari fish, sean prudden, and tim j. harte (aka dungeonmaster). over 28,000 people visited the altar; leaving personal objects and writing down their wishes.
in all, i visited the space three times. the first time i visited to document ryan's process whenever he would visit the space to roll wishes up. the second time i arrived alone, and simply captured the details of the intricate altar and fish's fabrics. the third time, ryan and i had a bit of fun staging photos for promoting and sharing news about the space and book he will be releasing about the space (available to order at http://www.wilkspainting.com)
the photos below are selected from all three visits, and speak more about the emotions experienced during the sessions than i could write about it.
-cameron