Baltic Portraits
2016, photographic prints, text
Interpretation and translation by Kristīne Gundarina
Baltic Portraits is a series of fifty portraits of residents of Liepaja, Latvia standing at the edge of the Baltic Sea with a personal statement about the role the sea plays in their lives, and eight long-exposure photographs of the sea taken just after sunset. The project is a blurring of the traditional photographic genres of portraiture and landscape, reflecting on the porous nature of the boundary commonly placed between ourselves and the natural environment. Latvia is one of the three Baltic countries, with a complex history of occupation by Nazi Germany and Russia for a majority of the 20th century. The Baltic Sea forms Latvia's border on its western side while Russia borders its eastern side. With tensions with Russia recently erupting, the Baltic Sea is a visible reminder of the vulnerability of this small country. This project was made possible by a Fulbright Scholar Award.