The Catcher in the Rye by Natasha Voltornist

The Catcher in the Rye is a stunning series of self-portraits by photographer Natasha Voltornist.

“It was the summer of travel, she says of the photos. “I had visited many cities and met many different people. At the time I felt crowded impressions, but also I felt absolute emptiness inside me. The emptiness was not negative — this emptiness was freedom. When my trip was over and I returned home, I realized that I couldn’t sit still, and I wanted to go further. This time I [didn't go too far]. I just left the city and went to these wonderful endless fields to make a series of self-portraits, to capture a new free me. The title of this series came to me naturally. Even on the road I read the book “The Catcher in the Rye” and looking at these self-portraits I realized that now – that’s what I am. A little boy or girl, it doesn’t matter, who roams the world in search of something, what he has no clue. I realized that I am that Catcher in the Rye.”

Putting oneself in a vast open field of nothingness for miles is the perfect way to seek out and eventually find yourself, regardless of what you’re looking for: peace of mind, soul, purpose, being, or a sense of clarity. By shedding the constructs of things you are surrounded with — those daily distractions that border on the mundane, those almost robotic routines — by breaking free from normalcy, and acting upon the impulse to go on an adventure, you gain new perspectives on the world you live in and how you are a part of it. Sometimes it takes a drastic upheaval. Other times, as with Natasha, you don’t even have to stray too far to find it. Who would have thought that a whole lot of nothing — vast, empty fields — could be the root to spur a well of creativity and self-assurance?  We all feel the weight of our daily lives coming down on our chests. But the child inside of us is always there, asking us to take him/her for a walk, to get some fresh air. It’s okay to wonder and search. Life is a constant learning curve, an experience, an adventure. In a way, I think we can all relate to having been the Catcher in the Rye at one point or another in our lives.

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