Merging documentary-like and conceptual styles, the series ‘It’s all in your head’ provides a unique perspective and imaginative exploration of a mental space.
Based on my own experience with mental illness, I wanted to explore the idea of capturing a mental space and how it manifests both physically and in one’s mind. I decided the best way to illustrate this was to split the series into two styles of photos. The first half of the series are documentary style photos. These were taken during a time in my life when I was struggling with my mental health. They are a candid portrayal of ways in which where we are mentally can manifest physically. The second half of the series are the conceptual style photos. These photos represent the parts of mental states/illness that cannot be seen by an outsider. This part of the series, and particularly the conceptual style, illustrates how one’s mental state can make the world around them feel surreal and distort their sense of self. The end of the series portrays the healing process and learning to sit with the ups and downs of one’s mental state. It shows that people are more than mental states/illnesses. Beyond concept there are also subtle stylistic parallels that link the documentary style photos to the conceptual ones.
This series was created through a prompt that I received in a photography class I took at my university last spring. The prompt was to document a space, preferably a space we knew well. I decided I wanted to document a mental space because where we live mentally is just as impactful as any physical space we inhabit. I wanted to show how our mental spaces can affect our daily life. At the time I wasn’t in a good mental space and wanted to capture sides of it that aren’t talked about as much; such as basic care tasks being difficult, and the loss of self. My hope is that this work helps those who are struggling with their mental health feel seen. Overall, I aim for this series to foster a better understanding of these experiences and to talk about a topic that still is burdened by negative connections.
About Nina Song Katz
Born and raised in a midwestern college town, Nina has always had a creative spark to her. As a kid she would draw on everything (including herself) and make crafts out of found items around the house. As she got older she engaged in performing arts (music and dance) throughout highschool and even into her first year of college. Additionally, during highschool she took a variety of classes in visual arts including drawing, ceramics, and photography. She believes that her background in other art genres has influenced her creative process. Nina is currently a sophomore in college.
For Nina, photography started as a way for her to capture the aesthetic and beauty she saw in the mundane and world around her. Enamored by the way the sunlight would hit her sheets and the way the clouds turned pink during sunset, she started capturing these moments in photographs. Very quickly photography became part of her daily life, and with this her ability to see beauty and aesthetic potential in everything around her blossomed as well. Since then she has taken a couple photography classes to refine her basic technique. Through photography, she has also developed an interest in filmmaking and cinematography. Currently, she is continuing to explore and refine her artistic style in photography. She hopes to create more work and have further publications in the future.
When people see my work that captures daily life I want them to be able to see the natural beauty in ordinary things. I want them to feel a sense of calm and uplift. For my more conceptual works I want to create something that is visually striking that can tell stories or be a voice for pure imagination. I hope people enjoy this series and my future work.
