Isadora Kosofsky: Intimate photos of a senior love triangle
Isadora Kosofsky embeds herself in the lives of others, documenting them in their most fragile moments. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
are three senior citizens
from the loneliness of aging.
home in Los Angeles,
for three years.
the gate one night,
of their love triangle,
that I had to find out who they were.
a day later, she said to me,
to coffee and doughnut shops,
of these outings was solace
in public streets.
no one saw them.
we lose the desires held in our youth.
when I met the trio,
and desires for intimacy
as an immersive documentarian,
the streets of Hollywood,
actors and filmmakers,
that each senior does.
sees these three human beings?
the only one who sees them?"
this work with the public,
uncomfortable with this story.
doesn't assume conventional notions
romance or partnership.
and shunned by their peers.
for me to belong everywhere.
norms about the elderly,
on fear of remoteness.
to their respective retirement homes.
for their people.
yearning for their tribe,
in her apartment, she said to me,
and a woman is private.
become the people I document
as an observer-occupant,
to then become hidden in plain sight.
of social development,
look strikingly alike,
of identity confusion.
aware of the divide in me.
and the actuality of our situation.
people who knew about each other,
to be at the base of the triangle,
and see three elderly figures,
that regardless of age,
the proverbial hole through other people.
at Jeanie, Will and Adina's story
that even at the end of life,
we have envisioned for ourselves.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Isadora Kosofsky - Photojournalist, filmmakerIsadora Kosofsky embeds herself in the lives of others, documenting them in their most fragile moments.
Why you should listen
A documentary photographer who works from a place of empathy, Isadora Kosofsky is devoted to sitting with people in their most fragile moments. She began photographing at the age of 14, documenting women in hospice care in Los Angeles. A contributor to international press and a recipient of numerous honors, Kosofsky has created long-term bodies of work considered epics of visual storytelling in which an individual or group remains her focus for years.
Whether it is documenting a woman with dementia for a decade, shadowing youths while incarcerated and after their release for the last eight years, photographing developmentally disabled couples for four years or documenting children and adults affected by relational traumas, Kosofsky often explores the intersection of intimate lives and institutions, where she typically gains unprecedented access, focusing on nuance and the complexity of human bonds. Her forthcoming work documents a young woman's life after enduring early sexual violence.
Isadora Kosofsky | Speaker | TED.com