Mickey Aliosio

From Europe with Love is a collection of images from a two-month backpacking trip throughout Europe during the spring of 2018.

Within that time, I photographed over 50 men in a total of six different cities. The photographs began as individual portraits of the men I met along the way. However shortly after, I found myself stepping in front of the lens, situated alongside each subject as a way of visually documenting and reflecting on these immensely intimate first encounters.

I’m interested in how our experiences shape our identities, specifically the experiences we share with other people. The photographs are not direct representations, but rather serve as partial illustrations of the situation unfolding between the two of us. By turning the image making process into a collaboration between subject and photographer, we are able to observe our human connection.

What’s most thrilling about the creation of each photograph, is the recognition and response, the giving and taking, and the pushing and breaking of the boundaries of the other. Which ultimately explores how our identities are challenged and perceived, by those of us within the image, as well as the viewers.Each photograph becomes a demonstration of interdependence, acceptance and vulnerability