2003

“It was summer when I saw little Teddy sitting on a wooden bench at sunset, looking out at Lake Michigan. Fortunately, I had my camera and pre-exposed Portal Polaroids with me. The light from the setting sun lit him perfectly.

Generally I will spend at least a day exposing the Portals on 4×5 Polaroid Type 55 positive/negative. I need to have them available if I have an idea.”- Jack Perno

The childhood wonder and mysticism that Jack Perno exhibits in this image is transformative, rendering the viewer back into their own state of childlike curiosity. Everything from Teddy’s vulnerable body language to the blank inquisitiveness in his features conjures a sense of comprehension. Childhood is a precious age, one that is often marked with daydreams and fanciful journeys during playtime–yet, these are things that we eventually outgrow. In Humanity, we pose the challenge of trying to rekindle these feelings of awe and wonder, as they are marked by the belief in oneself and in the potential for magic to exist within our human realm.