neon collar

In this series the fluorescent glow of workwear becomes a quiet emblem of unseen labor. These photographs capture utility workers immersed in their tasks, absorbed by the infrastructure that sustains urban life. The high-visibility jackets and protective gear, almost luminous against the gray environment, create a visual tension between visibility and anonymity. The series explores the often overlooked manual work, framing the workers as essential yet invisible parts of the city’s rhythm.

Each image was taken while walking without looking through the viewfinder. This introduces a layer of chance and detachment, echoing the very invisibility the series reflects. The camera, like the city itself, glances without pausing, capturing fragments of motion and labor in passing.

Presented in ornate, antique golden frames (at the end) reminiscent of classic portraiture, these photographs inhabit a space of visual and conceptual contradiction. The gilded opulence, once reserved for noble faces and canonical art, now encircles fleeting moments of labor. Elevating the banal into the monumental, and questioning what (or who) we choose to honor and preserve in collective memory.

Digital photography, 2024-2025.