jan
stradtmann
t: +44 7772 679 138
www.janstradtmann.de
Jamais Vu
The inspiration for this series of portraits began with the
psychological phenomenon of jamais vu (French for "never seen").
Unlike the more widely known déjà vu, it describes a sense of feeling
strange in familiar surroundings, as if experiencing them the first
time. Irritated and alienated, these are the moments to ask yourself
"What am I doing here?" and "Where or who am I?"
Whereas someone experiencing jamais vu might feel as if he or she had
stumbled into an unreal moment, the viewers of these portraits
witness intensely personal moments but are unsure of the circumstance,
the significance of the revelation or the appropriate reaction. These series
of photographs attempt to create a situation that forces the viewer to
experience the ambiguity, discomfort and anxiety of jamais vu.
