In Europe, street performers are around every corner and at the most famous of tourist sites displaying their talents hoping to sell their music or simply receive a small donation. When walking in Prague you will see and hear talented and unique performers that will never make it out of these streets because of the hardships they have endured and the difficulty of becoming a successful artist. I was inspired to photograph street performers not only because of how prevalent and charismatic they can be when performing, but how they represent a bigger meaning to me personally. There are so many talented performers in this world that go unnoticed and these performers are the perfect embodiment of this harsh reality. These performers to me not only represent the hardships in their community but in a greater sense musicians and performers alike that will never be seen or heard by the mass public due to lack of exposure, personal problems, and certainly monetary restrictions.
As I walked through the city of Prague each week trying to photograph these street performers that are at times talented, others eccentric, and many a bit of both, I came across the same performers in the same locations time after time. Though there were seldom words exchanged between the performers and myself, I recognized them each time we crossed paths and I have a sneaking suspicion that some remembered me as well. When I contemplated why these people performed in the same spot everyday playing the same song, doing the same dance, I realized how I was going to select my final photos. The thought of what these performers have been through in their lives and the pain they have experienced, is unfathomable. Whether caused by family problems, drugs, or mental health, there is a reason that these people are doing what they are and that realization exposed the dark side of street performers to me. The eight photographs in my project are meant to illustrate the hardships that these performers endure simply in an effort to survive. Each photograph not only possesses the technical and conceptual elements I thought were most effective in displaying this, but they are all vivid moments in my mind where I remember exactly where I was and what was happening when I was taking the photograph.
