Lockdown loneliness in all its glorious mundanity
Photographers Benedict Brink and Clare Shilland have collaborated on a lo-fi photobook with Moon Ltd, ‘Been On My Own For Long Enough’. In it, they document their time spent in lockdown, alone, complete with bloody noses, fag breaks and a snoozing child. Ahh.
Culture
Words: Frederik Bjerregaard
This text is taken from Been On My Own For Long Enough
“I met Clare Shilland and Benedict Brink independently on different projects a year ago or so, and clicked with both of them right away. It was only later that I realised that they are good friends and live close to each other in London. But it made total sense, they’re both seriously talented and seriously fun. They share, too, a sense of integrity (or authenticity if you will) to which we are always really drawn. After that, we talked on-and-off about doing a book together with Clare and Benedict’s photographs. But life is fast and everyone is always so busy, flying here, last minute job there. Then came Covid-19. And suddenly, everything stopped.
“When Clare and Benedict shared their observations of everyday life in lockdown, the photos were so easy to relate to and identify with: kids gone feral with freedom, bashed-up knees, bruises and selfies.
“The title of the book and show Been On My Own For Long Enough is a line from Blinding Lights by The Weeknd, a song played to death over the summer, a crazy ridiculous sad and hopeful piece of pop. Clare and her kids danced to it a hundred times in the kitchen. Benedict played it on her TikTok. Half the world was listening to that song, everyone of their own. Together.”
– Frederik Bjerregaard
Published and designed by Moon Intl
Been On My Own For Long Enough is available to purchase at antennebooks.com
