Who’s Eyes Are They Anyway?
2020 is the only year I didn’t return to Bulgaria since emigrating to the US in 1997. This was a huge dilemma for me creatively since so much of my work manifests itself from the time spent and experiences gathered during this annual pilgrimage. I revisit the same places years after year with a new set of eyes, obsessively documenting my surroundings. At this point, I no longer even have to seek out the things that I’m attracted to - they come me, or rather, we magnetize to one another. When you cultivate this sort of relationship to your surroundings, a simple walk down the street can be a thrill. And it is. As a compensation for my absence, I gave my parents the assignment of collecting visual data for me.
I prepared them by showing them some of the photographs I had taken over the years, explaining their significance beyond face value. It was surprisingly embarrassing to explain to my parents - who are far removed from “art” and the parts of my brain that make it - what exactly it is about a pile of detritus on a street corner that makes me stop dead in my tracks in awe and admiration? The more I spoke the more I thought, “wow, some things should really be kept to ones self”, but that wasn’t really an option given the circumstances - I had to provide them with as much logical understanding of the task as possible.
The month-and-a-half-long process took place on Viber. It started off slow. I had to yell - a lot. Like a parent, or a teacher: “you’re not taking this seriously!” and “what part of take pictures during every moment of your existence don’t you understand?!!”. They eased into it and began sending me photos of fields of flowers, mountains, historic landmarks, things anyone can find by Googling: “Bulgaria”. I critiqued their timidity and urged them to push beyond the comfort of a “good” photo or a “proper” sight. I encouraged them to discover quirks, flaws, moments within the landscape that were less obvious, more ephemeral, ultimately providing the audience (me) with a glimpse into their unique point of view.
These are the results:
photographs taken by me, my mother, and my father
as part of Narodna Zemya
curated by Sarko Mutafyan
Plovdiv, Bulgaria, 2022
