"I Who Have Never Known Men"

A series in fifteen photographs inspired by the book of the same title by Jacqueline Harpman.

Book Synopsis:
Thirty-nine women and a girl are being held prisoner in a cage underground. The guards are all male, and never speak to them. The girl is the only one of the prisoners who has no memory of the outside world; none of them know why they are being held prisoner, or why there is one child among thirty-nine adults. One day, an alarm sounds, and the guards flee; the prisoners are subsequently able to escape. They find themselves on an immense barren plain, with no other people anywhere, and no clue as to what has happened to the world. The book explores themes of loneliness, sensory deprivation, and survival.

The series, inspired by the book, delves into the themes of isolation and the vastness of our existence. It’s not just a physical exploration, but a philosophical one, seeking to answer the age-old question, "Why are we here?" in a distinctive manner. Although dystopian narratives aren't usually my preference, the synopsis of this book captivated me. It became a cherished read and sparked the creation of this photographic series with Jamie, where I explore my favorite passages from the novel through my own artistic lens.

For the imagery, I selected fifteen excerpts and quotes from the book and crafted photographs that convey, even if loosely, their essence. Each quote is presented first, followed by the corresponding photograph. I hope you enjoy this new series, featuring Jamie, a local dancer who is wearing a piece donated to me from Shell Belle Couture.

“My memory begins with my anger.”

I Who Have Never Known Men — One

“I thought it was unfair, and then I understood that, alone and terrified, anger was my only weapon against the horror”

I Who Have Never Known Men — Two

“What does having lived mean once you are no longer alive?”

I Who Have Never Known Men — Three

“I only know the stony plain, wandering, and the gradual loss of hope. I am the sterile offspring of a race about which I know nothing, not even whether it has become extinct. Perhaps, somewhere humanity is flourishing under the stars, unaware that a daughter of its blood is ending her days in silence. There is nothing we can do about it.”

I Who Have Never Known Men — Four

“I cannot mourn for what I have not known.”

I Who Have Never Known Men — Five

“Inevitably, with memory comes pain.”

I Who Have Never Known Men — Six

“Sitting on the bench, gazing towards the setting sun, she lost her mind in the cerebral convolutions, the mysterious nooks and crannies of the memory, she had gone backwards, seeking a world that made sense, losing her way among the labyrinths, slowly deteriorating, dimming, noiselessly being obliterated and then fading away so gradually that it was impossible to pinpoint the transition between the flickering little flame and the shadows.”

I Who Have Never Known Men — Seven

“Perhaps, somewhere, humanity is flourishing under the stars, unaware that a daughter of its blood is ending her days in silence.”

I Who Have Never Known Men — Eight

“Perhaps you never have time when you are alone? You only acquire it by watching it go by in others.”

I Who Have Never Known Men — Nine

“This slow dissipation, the gradual abandonment of all expectations, a defeat that had killed everything without a battle.”

I Who Have Never Known Men — Ten

“But I had only known the absurd, and I think that made me profoundly different from them”

I Who Have Never Known Men — Eleven

“I was forced to acknowledge too late, much too late, that I too had loved, that I was capable of suffering and that I was human after all.”

I Who Have Never Known Men — Twelve

“One after the other, they were buried under that sky and neither they nor I knew if it was the one under which we'd been born.”

I Who Have Never Known Men — Thirteen

“Sometimes, I used to sit under the sky, on a clear night, and gaze at the stars, saying, in my croaky voice: “Lord, if you’re up there somewhere, and you aren’t too busy, come and say a few words to me, because I’m very lonely and it would make me so happy.” Nothing happened. So I reckon that humanity— which I wonder whether I belong to —really had a very vivid imagination.”

I Who Have Never Known Men — Fourteen

“Survival is never more than putting off the moment of death.”

I Who Have Never Known Men — Fifteen