Abandoned. A departure that is final. Leaving a person, place, or lifestyle with no intentions of returning. Each of these are ways in which abandonment can be interpreted. Being abandoned is a one-way action. While it takes place between two parties, only one of them chooses to abandon the other. Someone or something is always left behind unwillingly. I was unintentionally abandoned by 9 of the most amazing women I know. It wasn't an argument or betrayal that split us apart; it was an adventure.My best friends decided to spend a semester studying abroad. As they make new lives for themselves in India, Ireland, Australia, England, and Italy, I am left behind without my support system and a large piece of my heart.
It is true that my friends have abandoned me, but I am also now faced with other abandonments. Without my friends at college, my lifestyle at Endicott has been abandoned, as well as my comfort zone.It is through this lens that I will explore abandonment. I plan to tell the story of my personal abandonment through images. I am particularly fond of the idea of return to sender letters. The image illustrates one party attempting to stay in a relationship, while the other vacates. There is a connection trying to be made, but its destination has been abandoned. Mothers leaving their small children is another image of abandonment I would like to explore. As the mother leaves, she is leaving behind a child who depends on their relationship for survival. The only way of life the child knows how to live is through their mother. I also think it would be interesting to look at images of last bits of luggage that continuously cycle through the carousels in baggage claims at airports that no one ever comes to claim. They have been abandoned. This image captures the essence of travel and abandonment which fits with my angle perfectly.... Alex Nizolek