On the streets of New York City, Richard Renaldi
combines photography and a social experiment, creating a very unusual project.
Renaldi composes shots of two or more off-the-street volunteers who have never
met intimately posing as friends, family, or lovers. The resulting photos are
astounding. While some convey the awkward closeness of strangers, most of the photos
reflect the weak yet genuine bond created between the volunteers within
minutes. Responses like, “It was a good feeling” and “It was nice to feel that
comfort” are very common among the participants despite their initial
hesitation to participate. A thirty-something poetry teacher responded, “I felt
like I cared for her,” when posed with his arms around a 95-year-old fashion
designer. The photos often move Renaldi himself. He states, “It’s kind of
lovely.”
Our greatest asset and source of life is each other.
There are so many people in our lives that it seems impossible to even
acknowledge, much less revel in the glory, of each and every person we encounter.
However, considering the number of people stretched throughout time, culture,
and place, one realizes that a relatively small and specific group of people is
present in one’s life.
Though it is impossible to create and maintain deep
and meaningful relationships with every person we encounter, it is possible to
recognize everyone as being of significant value to our lives and vice versa.
Renaldi’s photos remind us that, in the words of Lewis, “[t]here are no ordinary people…” and that, even if in very small ways,
we must treasure and celebrate the miraculous and remarkable existence of the
human person.
