?Sleeping Houses? is a personal observance of the outward visibility of an emotional issue of safety and security at home in the Flemish region of Belgium. Historically Flanders is an area that has experienced several ?invading? peoples and a cultural signature of the area is the way that every evening heavy security shutters are closed on the homes. Without a glow coming from inside the houses, towns feel abandoned, visitors unwanted and the houses themselves as if the were sleeping and waiting for something to happen. There is a tension of calm and unease that is emphasized by a surreal atmosphere of street light, manicured gardens and mixtures of architectural periods that seem paused on the edge of action with very few signs of life existing at night. As a new transplant to Flanders with an outside cultural language I see this environment without the cloud of familiarity. It is not even questioned by the residents that this ?abandoned? nightscape is a strange, unsettling thing. Quite the opposite, it is unsettling for those in Flanders to see into each other?s houses at night.
All images are 30" x 30" and in editions of 3.
Tamara Rafkin is an American / Belgian artist. Her imagery walks the line between the documentary and the narrative, approaching the subject of how our emotions and culture are imprinted on our public spaces. She is drawn to her subject matter by both personal history and an interest in cultural anthropology, perpetuated by having lived in several regions of the US and in Belgium.
Awards 7th Annual International Color Photography Masters Cup. Fine Art Category-Nominee. London, UK. 2014.
5th Annual International Color Photography Masters Cup. Still Life Category-Nominee. London, UK. 2011.
PX3 Prix de Fotografie Paris Honorable Mention. Paris, France. 2008
