Contemplation in Silence
“... Endless questions to be asked, but then the only way that real questions can be really answered, is in silence.”1
- Ajahn Brahm, 2022.
Wherever You Go, There You Are belongs to a practice of analogue photographic processes, underpinned by Buddhist Thought. Named after a saying which my father and I share on the phone, usually after recounting an event from the day, this work represents a collection of reflective meditations, recorded through large format 4x5 inch photographs on glass dry plates.
Large format processes, capturing an image became a moment of contemplation in silence. Under the dark cloth of the camera, the world outside became muted; in these moments, I am alone with myself, in the dark, and in silence.
A large C-type print of a glass plate photograph sits dimly lit in front of a handcrafted wooden bench. Sitting, and adjusting our eyes to the darkness, details and movement within the image appear more clearly over time. This space invites a simple meditative practice; closing our eyes, breathing in silence, centring and grounding ourselves until light appears from within.
No matter where you’re going, where you’ve come from, wherever you go, there you are.
1. Buddhist Society of Western Australia, “Importance of Pausing and Reflecting | Ajahn Brahm | 31 December 2021,” January 1, 2022, 8:44 - 8:55, livestream, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yifAjwBk1aA.
