Solo is a collection of pictures from my personal archive of photos I took over the last 10 years. In this time I dealt with mental problems for some years. I suffer from recurring depressive episodes. Sometimes these episodes cause an anxiety disorder with agoraphobia. In these periods of time I was unable to leave the house alone. When I finally was able to do this, after months of practicing in therapy, I felt very powerful and brave being out in the world by myself. But I was still a little shaky.

These episodes of agoraphobia have given me an appreciation of what is needed to function in normal daily life, and that it doesn’t go without saying to be able to take part in it. When you experience mental health problems, things that are supposedly easy can seem like a Sisyphus challenge. When I was thinking about a new project this summer I reviewed the photos I took over the past 10 years. Seeing them again one thing stood out to me: almost all pictures with people in them are of people alone. Usually seen from three-quarter on the back, sometimes from a large distance in a big void, sometimes closer and surrounded by other people and activity, but always clearly alone. These pictures were not taken with the intent of becoming a series. However, looking back I believe they are. A series of examples for myself, to see people alone in public space, to see that it is ok. Taken at a time that I intuitively needed to document these examples to overcome my mental issues. This is how I unconsciously created this project. A project that can only exist in recollecting, seeing the big picture, and reflecting on a period of time that has ended for me, hopefully for good.