Penelope Stone is a photographic artist from Atlanta, GA. She attended the Savannah College of Art and Design, where she recently received a BFA in photography. Her work has been exhibited in the southeast and overseas in France and Egypt as well as published online and in print. Fascinated by the collective unconscious, she looks to uncover unspoken secrets and dark daydreams. Primarily, her work focuses on forgotten places and buried memories. She enjoys alternative photographic processes and looking for new ways to capture old feelings. Currently, she lives and works in Atlanta.
Closer than Heaven
Between half-forgotten memories and partly-imagined dreams, the coastal plains of Georgia are baked under the unrelenting sun. Commonly referred to as the Lowcountry, moments here feel both weightless and static. They hang heavy in the air, as thick as the humidity that plagues the area. Attempting to capture them is like trying to capture the sunlight itself. They are fragmented, simultaneously revealing and obscuring the truth.
These moments, as fragile as dew, uncover a soft kind of ache for something else; for a better, forgotten time. Like a daydream, the colors are faded, a moment only beautiful in theory and sad in execution. They unveil the futile struggle of life and the deep ennui that perpetuate small towns on lonely highways. They are aware of their own impermanence. When held up to the light, these moments long wistfully for something that is more dream than reality.
Once gone, it’s hard to remember why exactly they make your heart ache. These moments are far from perfect, but they’re closer than heaven.
To view more of Penelope’s work please visit her website.