Photographer Jon Cuadros has released a deeply personal photography collection titled "Weightless at Last" through HARDEL publishing, exploring themes of isolation, human connection, and mortality through a series of contemplative images and reflective prose. The book examines what the artist describes as "the wall between me and the world, between me and others, between me and myself."
In the book's introduction, Cuadros reflects on the nature of photography and reality, questioning how we perceive and share experiences with others. "There's comfort in believing photographs document the reality of things. But we forget that reality doesn't belong to us," he writes. The artist explains that he tried to find something universal that viewers could share, moving beyond mere documentation to capture deeper human emotions.
The collection focuses on feelings that transcend individual experience, including "loss, vulnerability, longing—the feelings that make you and me human." Cuadros deliberately presents his subjects as "unmoored from their time, drifting toward something you might recognize as your own." The photographs feature people and places that speak to universal human experiences rather than specific moments or locations.
A particularly significant image in the collection features a woman at a trunk sale outside Stockholm, whom Cuadros describes in vivid detail. "A woman at a trunk sale outside Stockholm, with a faded horse tattoo and eyes like deep wells of cool, quiet, dark water. Shy and beautiful, she carries inside her the young woman she once was. Her wild horse tamed by time," he writes. The photographer sees her as embodying the passage of time, describing her as "at once old and young, like reading a whole novel in a glance."
This encounter becomes a meditation on mortality for the artist, as he recalls her gaze delivering what he calls his "fortune: one day you will die." This moment of recognition leads Cuadros to reframe his central question from wondering why barriers exist between people to asking "whether I can still pass a message through to the other side."
"Weightless at Last" has gained significant recognition in the photography world since its release. The book was featured at several prestigious venues during the summer, including Photo London, Off Print Tate Modern, and Miss Read Berlin. Currently, the work is being considered for the Deutscher Fotobuchpreis in the independent publishing category, highlighting its impact on contemporary photography publishing.
The collection was also exhibited as part of the Berlin Art Week Pre Program, further establishing its place in the international art scene. Photography enthusiasts can find the book at select stockists, including Bildband, Voo Store, and The Photographers Gallery in London, making it accessible to collectors and casual readers alike who are drawn to introspective photographic work that explores fundamental questions about human existence and connection.
