Jorge Ariel
Escobar

I Think We Could've Been Something

Through image-making, I explore my queer identity as a gay man and my relationship with men in the community. I am drawn to the ephemeral qualities of the male form, particularly during these moments of immediate intimacy or short-term encounters. I remember the smallest, most intimate details, such as the way a lover arches their torso, the way they rests their legs against mine as we lay in bed, the moment they roll over after a night together, or the way they look at me as we share a mutual desire for one another; albeit temporary. When I think about the people I have been with, I tend to remember them in the moments right before we kiss or the moments of decompression before we part ways. They live in a space that is this ideal romance for me, regardless of how long it may have lasted.

"I Think We Could've Been Something" is a collection of fleeting moments of queer intimacy created through short-term romances. The photographs in this series were taken by inviting several men whom I met in various ways, including through dating apps like Grindr, to be photographed intimately with me. For some of my subjects, this image-making process marked our first meeting. It became a way of forming intimacy that resembled the connections often established through dating apps, whether romantic or physical. These scenes were captured within a domestic space where my subject and I construct different fantasies intended to allow the viewer to place themselves in the work, such as imagining the hand being held is their own or the subject is reaching out to the viewer. Much like these quick moments of intimacy, I often take quick photographs of the smallest moments that occur while myself and my subject are conversing and getting to know each other. Any direction that I give is subtle and usually involves me either having them make the slightest adjustments or giving them a scenario to think about, such as asking them to pretend we woke up next to each other. I view this work as a collaboration between myself and my subject, where we work off each other to create these images.

All the work in this series started as digital photographs, which I then printed as lumen prints in the darkroom. This alternative photographic process involves taking traditional black and white silver gelatin paper and exposing it to UV light, causing the paper to fog. This process allows me to add pink colors to the prints, which serve various purposes in the work. The color palette mimics the body when blood rushes to your head during intimate moments. Furthermore, it also presents these constructed fantasies in a rosy, idealized light, further romanticizing short-term encounters that "could've been something."