How do you feel about people falling asleep on the train or the bus? Talented artist George Ferrandi is attacking the concept of passive hostility on city trains with a photo series called “It Felt Like I Knew You…” Ferrandi’s statement for the project is as follows:
I ride the NYC subway trains, usually in the evening when the seats are full. I focus on the shape of the space between the person sitting next to me and myself. I attempt to mentally and emotionally re-sculpt that space. In my mind, I reshape it- from the stiff and guarded space between strangers to the soft and yielding space between friends. I direct all my energy to this space between us. When the space palpably changes, and I completely feel like the stranger sitting next to me is my friend, I rest my head on that person’s shoulder’
Part performance, part photography, It Felt Like I Knew You… is a heartwarming project. It’s such a joy to see people reacting in a positive way, even if it is well-mannered sniggering. The best outcomes are when the other person tacitly accepts the artist’s head on their shoulder and they ride in peace. The question is, how would you react? Check out the pictures below from the series.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
