ELEANOR SLACK

‘Never alone’ is a series of nine drawings in which I capture the fleeting, yet often overlooked, moments of everyday life. I launch strangers, people I usually wouldn't acknowledge when passing on the street, into the main focal point of my drawings. Through this photography, I began to unknowingly capture the effects of the pandemic before it hit, and the impact it had on humanity and human interaction, through both my photography and drawings. The low angled, secretive photos allowed for almost first-person perspective outcome in my drawings. You may have even passed down the same street, as my photography is based in Preston City Centre. 
Due to the changes brought about by the Covid 19 pandemic, my drawings feature people wearing masks, showcasing the anxiety surrounding social distancing, showing how people held themselves differently, specifically through the second lockdown, and how they tensely walked with a purpose, with the list of acceptable reasons to leave the house being slim. The dark, gloomy atmosphere in my drawings fully reflects the rainy, Northern weather as well as the general tense mood at the time. 
Inspired by Sophie Calle, my work is an inquisition into everyday life, with the use of strangers as my main subject matter possibly being considered controversial. The idea of being ‘Never alone’ may bring comfort to some, yet make others feel extremely unnerved at the notion of never being alone.