May 25, 2020
As the alarm sounds and trying not to think, I pick up my phone, flip the camera and reverse it until I see me on screen, and press the red button. I don’t know if it’s possible to look directly at myself without assuming some kind of position – the way I want to see myself being seen. When we bring our attention to something it somehow amplifies and magnifies it. Immaculate white plumed egret with their flashy yellow feet and reptilian call stalk the banks of the river. I always think they look like snakes with wings – a long slow evolution – necks looped back, onyx eyed, primed to strike. I associate them with mainland Europe, and red and white striped deckchairs. I’m not sure why. They’re permanent residents in Britain now – it’s become viable habitat here because of climate change. There’ve been lots of humans on the river over the past couple of days. Laughter and whoops drift across the water. I notice a slight feeling of irritation in me at their colour intrusion. Islands of flouro plastic shock against the wall of deciduous green. Some wave. I always wave back if I see. Sometimes I wave to them and they don’t wave back, which makes me laugh and feel stupid. But of course they might just not have seen. My kids play this game when we’re driving along. I’ve got a van with a bench seat so we can all sit in a row. They wave at cars passing in the opposite direction to see who’ll wave back
#notaselfie #notanartwork #notaresidency #uncurated #14days #quarantine #selfportrait #mirror #reflection #introvertion #outroversion #timealone #wherenext
Éric Bolduc XYZ 