In “Floating World,” I photograph the people and environment of giant cruise ships, which offer a carefully packaged escape from reality in a refuge of manufactured joy. I’ve found it great laboratory for exploring the nebulous border between our mundane, daily lives and a fantasy world like the industry sells. In that transaction, one can find a lot of irony, humor, and perhaps a metaphor for the way we live our lives today. It’s also an industry in crisis due to the worldwide pandemic.
I’m drawn to the situations where the veneer of elegance seems a bit thin and that irony begins to show through. I feel a disquiet behind the façade, surrounded by the luxury and gratification that distracts from the realities we face on our return to shore —and also feel conflicted by the allure the comfort and indulgence has for me.
