the child

Photo Essay by Vivek Raj Singh and Reine Mountford

Where did his childhood go; embalmed within the walls of this house.

He only knew peace by himself, with friends imagined and lost. It was within that house, once a home and cocoon to that anxious child, he could be childlike. His imagination roared. The elders and their watchful eyes – never allowed him to stray too far. The walls of home were enough.

With its protective shroud and comforts, home was enough.

Countless toy trains ran circles around this world, where the child journeyed far and wide in this wondrous bubble. Home, inviting and freeing, the child had precious little else to want for. Hiding and seeking in the cavernous depths of this old home, a party on his birthday. No one found him, because no one looked. Then came the day when the home was shed like old skin, with a new far-off life to fill. But the child remained, hidden and unfound, somewhere within its empty walls. When he emerged from his hiding spot, of his own volition, he realised that the home had suddenly become just a house. And he, now a man; not of the world but just the house.

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editor's note

Volume 10

contact | shadow | fringe

I’ve been reflecting on the theme for our tenth volume, a lovely milestone that coincides serendipitously with the warehouse’s tenth year, and how it feels apt for the moment we find ourselves in currently. The theme straddles a threshold. The movement from this side to the far side. It isn’t inherently accompanied by an emotion. And yet, I feel it suggests a sense of hopefulness. 

This isn’t in a vacuum but is influenced by two events that concern themselves with a tremendous threshold: our atmosphere and the expanse beyond it. I am referring to the successful flyby mission around the moon by the Artemis II and the release of the film “Project Hail Mary” (adapted from Andy Weir’s novel of the same name). These two events, coinciding in this manner, serve less as random happenstance and more as a reminder, as Carl Sagan said, “The Cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff.” A reminder that everything out there, is also everything in here. It serves as a reminder for hope that as we resume our exploration of the darkest depths of the universe, we must take that strength to step forward from our own personal shadows.

Shadows can be freeing. There is comfort in creating, expressing, and working without scrutiny or pressure or expectation. It has potential for great freedom, movement, and discovery. However, when the driving force isn’t exploration then it can be crippling and lead to paralysis. In those moments, “coincidental” events like these can be arresting and provide a sense of hope that the next step is all that matters. One step at a time soon becomes many past an imposing threshold. As we gather momentum, pressure is bound to build. It is here, with changed circumstances, that the intention must persevere. Learning the rules, allows the impact of breaking them to feel that much sweeter, but that isn’t necessary. Acting from pure instinct allows for an innate expression to present itself. It is balancing this, instinct versus experience, that proves vital to take experience into one’s stride with child-like instinct and intention.

Our focus, at imprint and G5A, on independent stories allows this freedom. It is something we work to preserve so that the experience of ten volumes and ten years, respectively, does not weigh us down but lifts us up through the shadows and into the expanse. This is not easy but it is simple. When you default to curiosity and wonder, it isn’t a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’.

We’re excited for Volume 10 and everything it will hold.