Security Lights
Ten Photographs by Susan McCaslin
What began as a study of high-intensity
the back seat, staring at whatever was in my
security lights became a study of the shadows
line of vision – street lamps, neon signs and
they create, revealing a long-held childhood
reflections on the car windows and mirrors.
fear of the dark and the likelihood of
The restaurants were in unpopulated areas
confrontation. That fear has been diminished
and the lights of their signs and the lights
through these photographs. I have captured
in their parking lots were much eerier than
it’s figurative language with my camera and
in town. I can still feel the shock of being
reduced it to bits of ink on paper.
awakened by boisterous patrons exiting the
As the last child still living at home in rural
restaurant. I would instinctively slide myself
Pennsylvania, my parents would often take me out to dinner on school nights. And as the
into the shadows on the cold vinyl seat so that they could not see me as they walked to their
evenings grew long and I grew tired, I would
cars.
lock myself in our family car, hoping to sleep
When I look at these photographs I see that
as they continued on with their evening. I
child who was alone and fearful in a cold,
remember the odd angles of the roofs and
dark car but I also see the adult who is strong
upper stories of the buildings and the parking
and brave enough to go out by herself in the
lots outside the restaurants we frequented
middle of the night, to lurk in dark shadows
– perspectives and fears distorted as I lay
and get past her fears for the sake of art.
under my mother’s coat, stretched out on
Š2016 Susan McCaslin Published to accompany an exhibition at the Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut (CAWCT) Originally conceived for GLSP Arts 626: Landscape Photography, Cultural Geography Professor Marion Belanger, Wesleyan University, 2012