When I first came across Emily's work a few months ago, I was completely immersed in the stories that lay within each photograph. With a strong focus on her personal adventures in her most recent work, Emily captures perfectly raw emotion and natural beauty. Now back in London after spending time in New York working at Ryan McGinley's studio, she's currently exhibiting this work with GIRLS ONLY.
Words by | Emily Scarlett Romain
These images are an excerpt of a series of photographs I took during three stays in New York from 2013 - early 2014. Each time I returned I knew it was for a set time dictated by visas and the constant impending return to the UK, which gave me the impetuous to compulsively document something I knew could not last forever.
I have always used photography as a means of remembrance and my reliance on it to validate my experiences has become obsessive. Alongside that, the light in New York was always an inspiration to my work. The way the city and its inhabitants bask in its glow led me to avoid using any flash and instead I relied on natural light, and the (not so natural) neon lights of bars and the subway system. Since reviewing the selection of images that I am currently exhibiting I realised there is a distinct lack of people in most of them.
I feel like it shows the period of loneliness I experienced that anyone who has been left to explore a new city alone can feel.
Although my time in New York was mainly spent with room mates and the colleagues I met at Ryan McGinley's studio (who I now regard to be some of my closest friends), there were days that felt isolating and lonely within a city of over 8 million people.
I believe this is why there are more buildings and text in these images than my other work, as I became much more aware of my surroundings when not distracted by any company. However, the people who do feature in the images are those who filled my time in New York with amazing friendships, experiences and now - memories.
Currently, Emily is exhibiting this work with GIRLS ONLY who are a studio residency programme, curatorial body, gallery and event space aimed at supporting the work of female artists and creatives in NYC and London, UK. Curator Antonia Marsh explains what the exhibition is all about.
"For one week this September, in a temporary space in Old Street Underground Station, Girls Only will showcase new work from twelve young women living and working in London today.
As a result of its three-week lifespan from inception to de-installation, instead of following a typical curatorial mechanism by inventing a central curatorial theme around which works loosely circulate, Girls Only instead seeks to allow the work of these artists to function independently. However, it is precisely this individualism that creates a unity between the artworks in the exhibition. All coming from different fields, some considering themselves fine artists and others not, what still radiates from this group is a permeating sense of mutual support of each others artistic concerns and interests."
We highly suggest you go and check these girls and their work out at the exhibition, open 11am - 7pm daily and closes this Saturday 13th. Unit 2 Old Street Station.
Emily is now working on making the whole series into a zine and hopefully an exhibition by the end of the year, so be sure to follow her journey on her website www.emilyscarlettromain.com and Facebook for more updates.
