Story and photographs by michele.manske. 

Published with the Downtown Journal. 

Santa Monica photo-shoot with Asia. 

  Perhaps the mind constructs dream worlds in order to perform what the body cannot; as an avenue to resolutions, confidence-building defeats, or attainable freedoms that are otherwise impossible. Such boundless territory can be even further heightened through prescription drugs. Under these circumstances, the dreams become lucid and more realistic; making it harder for the patient to decipher between reality and their R.E.M cycles. 

  This is what my father experienced. While he slept he made his important phone calls, practiced bass playing and took the dog for a walk. Upon waking his dreams were slow to dissolve, sometimes causing confusion and the occasional hallucination. 

 Finding the humor of these experiences, I felt compelled to re-enact them as I pictured what they might look like. 

Father’s dreams.  

A man lived in my house.

I never met him, he passed away before I moved in. His belongings were never claimed so I disposed of them. Silverware in drawers, hangers in closet and a plant desperate for water. Through his worldly possessions, I attempted to piece together a portrait of a man I will never meet. 

Acrylic