Sentience

Words, photographs and a soundtrack. Reviewed by the GUP Magazine.

On the list of Photocaptionist Books of the Year 2015.

The Sentience book photographed on a white background.

Project information

Sentience documents two years of my exploration of emptiness, space and silence. All photographs in the book were taken intuitively to mark passing moments and to preserve their delicate state. To memorise feelings in the context of the physical environment. Nothing was planned. I was waiting for my conscience to manifest images to me.

The book is a loose description of multiple states of mind we experience when moving through time. In my mindfulness and meditation practice, I often encounter states of peace. I believe that emptiness – stillness of the mind, awareness of one’s feelings – is genuinely undervalued in our busy lifestyle. We are constantly on the move, looking for things to occupy our minds with. We are discouraged from doing and always pushed further by endless tasks, chores and expectations. I want to avoid this, as I believe it ultimately destroys will and awareness.

Sentience illustrates my own process of dealing with basic biological and culturally-constructed conditions: joy, pain, love, desire, loss and fear.

Unavoidably, the book is very personal as it concentrates on my observations from the period. However, I believe the message is somewhat universal; we can only be sure of what our minds carry (if even that) and what effects our actions have on our environment and those close to us.