The Fine art of letting go by Shira Gold

How do we make the choice to let go? What provokes our physical or psychological decisions to detach? Many of us were raised believing that mementos hold meaning or proof of experience.

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How do we make the choice to let go? What provokes our physical or psychological decisions to detach? Many of us were raised believing that mementos hold meaning or proof of experience.

But when the passage of time causes our memories to lose clarity, we are faced with the question of whether the time is right to move on. The images in my series The Fine Art of Letting Go bring together the paradoxical impulses to hold tight to the weight of history and the desire to unburden in the hopes of stepping into new terrain.

In a world over-stimulated by information and sensory distractions, we only have so much space for our stuff before it swallows us whole. In response to the accumulations of the material world, there has been a deluge of messages to “de-clutter,” to “work through,” or to “make space.” These mantra-like instructions are useful but challenging to put into practice. The past is not so easily cut off. The fears that limited us, our false notions of self, our disappointments and heartbreaks—these are reminders of where we came from, what has shaped us, and who we wish to become. Memories we cherish, like jewels from our youth, are held tightly even when time causes them to lose their vitality.

The suspended botanicals in these images convey the delicate push and pull that accompany the process of letting go. Delicate by nature, the blossoms metamorphose with the passage of time and the influence of the elements. Clear waters can appear dark or opaque; vivid memories can slip below the surface only to re-emerge transformed by new meaning. Reminiscent of a ritual bath, these pieces seek to purify, holding for a moment in time the beauty of the past as the self-flows forward.

Letting go of the past involves venturing into the unknown. The practice of doing so is much like practicing an art form. We sift through past pains and triumphs, taking what we need. We draw meaning, re-work the narratives of our personal struggles and, when we can, we release.

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Submission
Dodho Magazine accepts submissions from emerging and professional photographers from around the world.
Their projects can be published among the best photographers and be viewed by the best professionals in the industry and thousands of photography enthusiasts. Dodho magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any submitted project. Due to the large number of presentations received daily and the need to treat them with the greatest respect and the time necessary for a correct interpretation our average response time is around 5/10 business days in the case of being accepted. This is the information you need to start preparing your project for its presentation.
To send it, you must compress the folder in .ZIP format and use our Wetransfer channel specially dedicated to the reception of works. Links or projects in PDF format will not be accepted. All presentations are carefully reviewed based on their content and final quality of the project or portfolio. If your work is selected for publication in the online version, it will be communicated to you via email and subsequently it will be published.
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