Dana Mueller was born and raised in Thuringia, East Germany until the fall of the Berlin Wall. She received her MFA in Photography from the Massachusetts College of Art + Design. Mueller currently teaches at the Massachusetts College of Art + Design, Lesley University College of Art + Design and Northeastern University College of Art, Media + Design. Today we take a look at her series titled, MAY DAYS.
MAY DAYS
The first time I visited Havana was in the spring 2014 and I returned again the following year. My month-long stays materialized in visual observations during the days of May. First impressions were that the people of Cuba seemed in constant uncertainty about its future—a limbo caused by economic stagnation but imminent change. For many, the country had been on hold for so many decades, that it was hard to picture alternatives.
Hoping to go beyond my own understanding of Cuba — the associations of a foreigner — I learned that with time and experience, there is so much that lies beyond one’s comprehension. Frequently, nothing is as it appears, what is on the surface is too easily misinterpreted. Instead, the hieroglyphs of the present, the verve of its people and punctuations of the everyday were what kept me connected.
The more you get to know a country the more mysterious it becomes, and potentially it can evade you. The singular moments of my journey are those of exchange and, eventually, recognition.
To view more of Dana’s work please visit her website.