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JOAN BENNEY
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In 2015 I was a regular commuter on public transportation in the SF bay area. I found myself in awe of the humanity, the life, loss, revelation and mystery on board everyday. As a rider, I found an inside lens on culture, and the body politic crowding personhood. This is a visual diary I made of the people I encountered.
This series has a mixed media component developing.
Written about riding on Muni:
Taking public transportation involves a paradox, everyone riding together while conducting their personal trajectories alone. Most people have a destination, though they look like they are waiting to see if that place actually exists. It's an expression permeated by the unknown, quietly surrendering to being human and wondering if it is heaven or hell around the corner. So much is said without uttering a word when maintaining the unspoken rules of personal space on public transportation. The hours spent in transit become a metaphor for one’s personal journey through life.
Anyone watching this can see the beauty in everyone that boards the bus and what they bring. . . reflecting on what is known and what is unknown until it’s time to go.