In March 2020 my same-sex partner and I got engaged; both agreeing to the commitment of life-long unity. An Ascension explores queerness, hope, and devotion, developed during this period of engagement.
As a child I received a Catholic education, one that outwardly taught the sins of deviation from the heterosexual path. About the time I lost my faith, I experienced my first recognisably homosexual feelings; from here on, my relationship to my sexuality developed; however, the influence of Catholic guilt lingered. Despite being openly gay with close friends and family by the age of 18, I couldn’t escape the vision of myself marrying, and starting a family with a woman. 15 years on, and I still feel the lingering shadow of a Catholic view on sexuality. In An Ascension I study these shadows, filling them with the light of hope that is my devotion to my partner.
Michael Swann is a photographic artist based in Bristol (UK). In 2020, he was selected as one of BJP’s Ones to Watch and nominated for the Futures Photography talent platform.