Polyamory Project 2020

Polyamory:

The practice of, or desire for, intimate relationships with more than one partner, with the informed consent of all partners involved. It has been described as "consensual, ethical, and responsible non-monogamy." - Wikipedia

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Message from the Artist:

Polyamory and other non-traditional relationships deserve awareness not judgement. As it is growing in popularity many people hear the word polyamory and open relationships. Many people are quick to judge as they do not understand what it means to be polyamorous, or be in a non-monogamous relationship. It goes against everything we know. If it makes you uncomfortable - think about why it makes you uncomfortable. Usually it is because society tells us it is wrong. We judge it without even knowing what it is. Similar to the gay rights movement, many people are quick to judge what they do not know, and in this case, it is people who are in relationships with more then one person at a time. Often, we are taught by parents, religion and society that monogamy is the right, and only way. That we are supposed to marry one person and be legally attached to them forever. And remain happy. Unfortunately this is not always the case, as about 50% of marriages result in divorce. One of the reasons may be because people grow apart or change. People change and grow as they get older, often searching for new things in life and changing paths. It is not fair to our partner to expect them to grow and change with us. If they change for us, they put their wants, needs and dreams on hold, therefore becoming unhappy and resentful. Another reason why marriages may end in divorce is because of cheating or the desire to be with someone else. As humans, we naturally have urges and wonder about other people outside of our relationship. We have these feelings, and we don’t understand why, so we just push them away. What most people don’t realize is that there are other options instead of a monogamous relationship. For example, being in a closed relationship with three people, being a couple and allowing each other to see other people, or any other version you come up with that works for you and your partners. To figure out what you truly want and what your boundaries are, you need to be honest with yourself and with your partner(s). Transparency is everything in these relationships, and if you can master that, there is no other way to be truly happy because you are constantly telling your partner(s) what makes you happy, what makes you jealous and what makes you upset. And you work together to find a solution. There is nothing wrong with monogamous relationships, and there is also nothing wrong with consensual non-monogamous relationships either. 

In the Polyamory Project, I use 35mm film in a photo documentary style to capture the everyday life of polyamorous and non-traditional relationships. Under each set of photographs, each person in the relationship has done a write up about what polyamory means to them and the nature of their relationship. I am doing this project because this topic is something close to my heart and something I am passionate about. I believe this topic deserves awareness, not judgement. Just because we are told by society what is right and wrong, does not mean it is the best option for us. I believe that the rules society makes have to be challenged. Everyone deserves to find their happiness - no matter what that may be.

This project will be ongoing - using different mediums and art to bring awareness to the poly community. If you would like to find out how to become a part of it reach out through the contact information tab.