Transient Galaxy

This series depicts a cup of black filter coffee, illuminated from beneath, viewed from above. Each image is captured minutes apart. 'Transient Galaxy' refers to the brief, meditative act of reflection during a shared experience. "By sharing our experiences there is someone other than ourselves who is aware of the sum total of our journey." (Rönnegard, D., The Virtue of Shared Experience 2017). As we observe each image in the series, we begin to question the link between the brevity of an activity and the overall impression for those who partake in it. For the photographer, something as ordinary as visiting a coffee shop with friends becomes extraordinary as these worlds collide within the image. To capture the organic nature of this shared experience, the composition and transformation of the coffee's bubbles have been left entirely to chance. We observe these bubbles drifting apart as the coffee becomes cold and untouched. Only then can we understand a moment like this can only last as long as the activity at hand stays warm and inviting before inevitably reaching its void-like conclusion. And whether or not you take milk and sugar, the transience of this shared experience makes the coffee ever sweeter.