The Light Under the Door by Tsar Fedorsky

Issue 78

I've always wanted to travel and had hoped photography would bring me to far away places. I also knew that some of the most powerful work comes from artists who can observe what they know best – their home and immediate surroundings. An honest gaze on my own situation certainly seemed like a risk.

Using my life as a starting point, I wanted to create a photo narrative about a woman who dreams of a larger life. Comfortable at home, she also yearns to experience the broader world. But at times, she feels lonely and isolated, and seeks comfort in art, literature, and in her imagination.

The black and white photographs allow the viewer to move beyond realism and toward abstraction, linking concrete objects to imaginary ones. The light represents her desire to break free from the shadows she finds herself in.

Questions arise. Is her relationship making her happy? And what constitutes true happines? Has she gotten complacent? Does she have time left in her life to reinvent herself?

Given that our time on this earth is limited, what do we want to do with that time? This work contemplates the fear of the unknown. It's about finding the courage to break through and follow the light.

Tsar Fedorsky lives and works in Gloucester, MA.
To view more of Tsar's work, please visit her website.