Gabby Barnes
What Is Love Anyway?
Social media has conditioned us to believe that love is perfect, pretty, easy and comes naturally, without challenges or comprises. ‘Instagram perfect’ relationships are idealised, romanticised and unrealistic depictions of what love is. They have created a dangerous disconnect. We compare our own reality, one of ups-and-downs; arguments, hardship, tears, loneliness and vulnerability to that of a curated ‘perfect’ fantasy world. They are a performance, a fabrication, and a fantasy. They create unrealistic expectations and standards and make us question the validity of our own relationships and ourselves.
My series documents the candid reality of my own relationship through my eyes, capturing small details and quiet moments to show that love is not perfect or easy; in a way that isn't glamorised or fake or edited. By not being these things this series opposes the seemingly ‘perfect’ couples pictured in social media and the feelings of inadequacy they can elicit. I hope viewers relate to the way I have shot my imagery, to seem familiar or closer to reality. Love is not continuous perfection; it is not pretty all the time. It can be messy, tough and often full of compromises. But it is 100% worth it.
Untitled, 2020
Pigment print (detail of photo-book)
Untitled, 2019
Pigment print (detail of photo-book)
Untitled, 2020
Pigment print (detail of photo-book)
Untitled, 2020
Pigment print (detail of photo-book)
Untitled, 2020
Pigment print (detail of photo-book)
