These photos were taken over many years, and are seemingly unrelated.  However, as I thought about the theme of unravel, I revisited the photos and saw “unravel” portrayed in each.  I love the ambiguity of unravel – it can represent destruction, just as it can represent cleansing.  It can speak to the unrelenting forces beyond our control, or the simple, deliberate act of undoing.  The world is constantly unraveling around us all the time, in a myriad of ways.

Matthew McGlennen is New York-based educator and photographer. He currently works as an Education Director for a Manhattan-based non-profit which provides free after-school programs for NYC-middle-school students.  He lives in Washington Heights with his wife and their books.