Horacio Arias

"So I Wrote My Goodbyes" centers on the ideas of normalization of abnormal experiences while living in a predominately white suburbia in metro Atlanta. As the only son of an immigrant family, the ideas of assimilation and keeping your head low to avoid unwanted attention, were instilled during the early years of life. The photographs were created when examining the personal effects of certain spaces and events and their outcome throughout adolescence and into adulthood. The struggles of not connecting with my family’s heritage and with the need to rebel as I got older, led to finding myself in questionable situations. Interactions I had with certain spaces and the places that I had once cherished no longer have that same appeal. The people who were prominent in my life are no longer with me and now the spaces are just a reminder of who I once was. Are the experiences I encountered normal? Why are certain situations glorified?