Photographer Elisabeth Ajtay is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this photo essay. From the project ‘Independent Interdependence’. To see Elisabeth’s body of work, click on any photograph.

Independent Interdependence is a series of cyanotypes, exposed under the afternoon sun.

Working in the absence of a camera, directly with light, water, chemistry, and fragile bozo paper allowed me to re-engage with photography through touch and surface, restoring a tactile relationship to the medium—I approached photography as material and process rather than representation. At the same time, the work reflects my ongoing engagement with notions of space and time, informed by the writings of Paul Virilio and Gaston Bachelard.

The title reflects a central concern with human independence and interdependence. Each work exists autonomously, yet its meaning unfolds in relation to the others through rhythm, variation, and difference. Linear and non-linear forms, chaos and order, softness and sharp intervention coexist, suggesting different states of mind and energy flow. The materials themselves articulate this tension, operating both independently and in reliance on one another.

The delicacy of the kozo paper plays a critical role. During the washing process, I intentionally allowed the paper to tear in specific areas. This controlled loss underscores the fragility of the material and serves as a metaphor for human vulnerability, where autonomy and connection remain inseparable.