Untitled Bipolar Series

Jews share a collective trauma that filters throughout history. I see living with Bipolar Disorder as an ongoing extension of that profound pain. Through vivid imagery in passed-down stories, or genetically predisposed chemical imbalances, the suffering of Jews is seared into each of our subconscious. When I was Twenty-one and underwent ketamine therapy for treatment-resistant depression, I contemplated my great-uncle, a former rabbi now crippled by schizophrenia. In the Talmud, it alludes to the idea that brokenness can lead to resilience. I hope in his life he’s taken that notion to heart. In my series, pictures of myself, my husband, and still lifes represent these continuing narratives of complex Jewish tribulations. I photograph the closeness between partners to show intimacy contrasting with illness, and melancholy with joy. I use the medium of photography as an expansion of the spoken and written tradition of storytelling. Freezing every memory in time as a blessing documented for future generations to remember our trials. 

The notion that a shared people or an individual has endured horror demonstrates the power of survival. The world is profoundly broken, yet wonderfully beautiful.