Potential Space
We present the new project, Potential Space, by Omer Kaplan, an Israeli photographer, currently residing in NYC. Potential Space is a final project for the ICP (International Center of Photography) in NY, which symbolizes a personal path towards self-realization and healing. Omer shares his personal story and explains how photography helped him to deal with panic attacks as a teenager. He decided to research the topic of a more profound understanding of the most essential need for a safe space and self-expression.
The intention is to enable unfamiliar individuals to embark on the journey of self-exploration through communication with the other, and then through being left with the self, encouraged to let the authenticity emerge. “The process of taking these images was difficult for me, as it forced me to deal with feelings of blame and self-doubt.” - Omer shares. The sessions lasted several hours, getting familiar with new encounters, photographing them in the studio, and eventually providing them with an opportunity to take a self-portrait being alone in the room.
This is a third project shot by Omer Kaplan we present on WÜL, but this time the project is different: it’s personal and intimate. Breaking away from fashion photography, Omer explores a distinct genre through self-definition towards extending the series to learn about the other, comparing experiences. I speak with Omer about his recent graduation from the ICP, the effect of the pandemic on the city, and the conception of the idea for Potential Space, which first started to grow roots back in Israel. Omer invites the reader, in the most genuine way, to learn about his personal struggles and the desire to allow individual strengths and vulnerabilities to emerge, while working on the series.
Photographer Omer Kaplan Project
International Center of Photography
ICP ICP Alumni ICP Creative Practice
‘Moving to New York was a life-changing experience for me. I decided that I wanted to take my career to the next level and be able to reinvent myself in a city in which no-one knows me.’
Hi Omer, thanks for sharing the project with us. Tell about your latest experience studying at the International Center of Photography (ICP), living in NYC, going through the peak of the pandemic?
Hey Nastasia, thank you very much for your interest in my project. Moving to New York was a life-changing experience for me. I decided that I wanted to take my career to the next level and be able to reinvent myself in a city in which no-one knows me. ICP was a home to me for the past year, and I got to know many great artists from all over the world. Together we created a community that thinks together, is supportive, and critiques each other’s artwork. The teachers were amazing. Not only are they great artists, but also great educators who care about the students and their artistic practice. I’ve learned a lot from them. I learned about art, photography, philosophy behind it, and also about myself, which is more than what I could have ever wished for.
I’m proud to be part of this community of incredible artists and hope to stay in touch with them. Due to COVID-19 most of my friends from school returned to their home countries. It felt terrible and very isolated, I’ve found myself spending more time alone reexamining my life and analyzing it. I developed a film in my roommate’s bathroom, who, due to the situation, temporarily moved to New Jersey. The pandemic hit New York hard. I remember the last days in school, riding the bicycle to Manhattan to avoid taking the subway. It felt empty and sad because I knew it might be the last time I’ll be in school again.
‘Something about meeting new people excites me, I think it relates to my need for validation. There is something strong in knowing that people accept me the way I am, and I can emotionally connect with them in only one meeting.’
How was the idea for Potential Spaces conceptualized? What led you towards the decision to meet people you don’t know in forums and invite them to participate. What were some questions or perhaps criteria for the selection you had in choosing the subjects?
I believe that Potential Space commenced somewhere back in Israel when I started to work with people I met online for my fashion editorials. Something about meeting new people excites me, I think it relates to my need for validation. There is something strong in knowing that people accept me the way I am, and I can emotionally connect with them in only one meeting. When I just started to photograph this project, I didn’t think about it too much, because I believe that making art and analyzing it are two different processes. It took me a long time to understand that I did it as a way to deal with the severe panic attacks I was having as a teenager. I felt like there was no space for me to express them in a healthy way.
I provided my subjects with potential space to express themselves and their identity. Potential Space is all about exposing yourself and stretching your boundaries — for both my subjects, as well as myself — with a feeling of control. I chose my subjects based on intuition — it was important for me to get a feeling of collaboration from them, that we have something in common. Our sessions led to deep conversations that reflected on how comfortable we felt with each other, and the level of emotional bonding and openness. In this process, we both became vulnerable, especially the subjects who came to my place despite not knowing me. What was interesting is that sometimes (especially in the fashion industry) we choose people based on what beauty means to us. In this project, I sought something else. These people are beautiful to me on a different level, something deeper than that. A level that is based on curiosity and sensitivity, as well as admiration.
‘I’ve created space for my subjects, as well as myself, to ask questions about our identity through an internal process of reflection on our personalities.’
Reading the notes which Angelica and Jessica left after taking their self-portraits, it appears that such a simple act as photographing oneself (which is going against the trend of taking a selfie on a personal phone) leads to the experience of self-liberation. Why do you think this feeling emerges?
Thank you for the question, I think it’s important to put this distinction between selfie and self-portrait. These two terms are quite distinct by their purposes and goals. I believe that this feeling emerges because of the ability to expose oneself under being in control. I’ve created space for my subjects, as well as myself, to ask questions about our identity through an internal process of reflection on our personalities.
How much time did you provide a subject to work on their self-portrait?
I didn’t want to limit the time for their self-portraits, because it was important for me to provide my subject with a safe space to think about how they want to be portrayed. I was always sitting in the living room, very excited and emotionally overwhelmed, waiting to talk to them after they photographed themselves. As I shot everything on film, in some of our conversations, they talked about how important it was for them to not be able to see the images. I also didn’t see the results until I developed the film in a darkroom, which allowed us to take a step away from the results.
The camera becomes a therapeutic tool that helps to develop a better understanding of who we are and how we want to be seen by others. Also, it provides an intimate space to ask questions that may not be answered but lead to more questions, which encourage a process of self-exploration. These processes are fundamental to the ability to understand oneself and provide a space for an open inner discourse. The photographs allow these feelings to become a visible form that is based on trust and vulnerability.
‘I felt panic attacks became part of me and justified my existence. I also felt like I was guilty in many ways, and the only way to deal with these feelings was by putting myself in that space.’
In your shared note which accompanies your take on self-portraits, you mention the panic attacks you’ve been experiencing and the way in which photography allows you to regain control. Could you elaborate on the way you deal with panic attacks, and what have you learned about yourself through this struggle over the years?
Since my childhood, I’ve used photography as a self-therapeutic tool. When I experienced panic attacks, I would take the camera out and put it on a tripod to film myself and take photographs. It helped me to deal with panic attacks, I felt it provided me with validation and companionship, there was something strong about feeling that I’m not alone in this. I sat in front of the camera and tried to be as authentic as I could, in a way, I tried to accept the panic attack, and I kept photographing until it was over.
I examined the images to understand how my panic attacks look like. I remember how I was wandering around late at night in my hometown, walking around the high-school, then sitting on the rooftop of the school's library, looking at cars and people, trying to feel the depression and the panic attack, to connect with my body and psyche. I felt panic attacks became part of me and justified my existence. I also felt like I was guilty in many ways, and the only way to deal with these feelings was by putting myself in that space. After a long journey, I realized that I don’t need them anymore, yet they kept occurring. Unconsciously, I've decided to work hard to develop a better understanding of what I am without them. I became obsessed with them. Every time I started to date someone, I felt like she had to know about them because otherwise, I felt I'm not presenting myself in a truthful way.
As I kept exploring myself, photography has become more significant in my life, it enabled me to invest these feelings into my artwork. I’ve realized that the only way to deal with them would be to say “fuck off” to the world and express what I want and feel. I’ve found it as an integral part of my relationships with women and in my art practice. I believe that this ability is the key to freedom. I remember one time I had a nude photography workshop in Israel, and I had a vision for a photograph, but I didn’t feel comfortable enough telling the model about it. My teacher encouraged me to photograph my vision and express it. This experience had a great influence on my practice, and I take it with me wherever I go. My intention with Potential Space is to constantly bring myself to situations that force me to say what I feel and express my thoughts. This way, I force myself to deal with feelings of shame and guilt that often come in my interaction with the world and especially with women.
‘I had a meeting with my history teacher, Jean Marie Casbarian, who is one of the most fascinating people I’ve ever met and influenced me a lot. She gave me that feeling that it's ok to be loyal to yourself and to be in a constant search.’
When juxtaposing the photographs you created with self-portraits of the same people, who took part in your project, which differences are the most striking to you: physically, mentally, emotionally?
I had a meeting with my history teacher, Jean Marie Casbarian, who is one of the most fascinating people I’ve ever met and influenced me a lot. She gave me that feeling that it's ok to be loyal to yourself and to be in a constant search as well as in the process of delving deeper, asking yourself why you do what you do. She recommended looking at the photographs as a psychological progression that can help understand better my relationships with my subjects and what it's like for them to be part of it. I was struck how much they were invested in the collaboration even though it wasn’t always convenient for them. I always tried to dig deeper and see what else I can learn from them through an examination of their trust and openness so they could express what they feel.
I think that in their self-portraits there’s a hidden wish to be exposed that comes to the front. I believe that my photographs reveal their vulnerability and the tension between them and me, whereas, in their photographs, it becomes more about the strength they want to convey, a feeling of facing yourself and performing from their perspective. For example, when I talked with Angelica, she didn’t want to do nudes, and I accepted it. But, when she had the room for herself, something in the atmosphere allowed her to feel comfortable enough to expose her body even though she knew I would see the picture afterward when I developed it. Seeing this photograph in the darkroom meant a lot for me, and I feel that I’d like to explore more about this space and how it affects my subjects.
