'Everything you do is a self-portrait’, that’s a quote by Chuck Palahniuk, and for me it’s always been rather poignant. I’d go as far as saying my work reflects that idea,” says Erin Veness.

I’m speaking with 24-year-old artist from her Hastings home. She’s contending with a crying cat – Dave – and struggling to write a proposal for a new art show.

But that’s not the reason for the chat.

She’s currently exhibiting a series of photos, You told me you loved me (Then I was trapped), at Watford Museum.

“A lot of my artistic practice is focused on the way we are as people, the similarities and differences, and the strong emotions we have,“ she explains.

“They could be feelings of hate, anger, loss, the overwhelming emotions that we have and can have, and the choices that they can lead us to make.

“Some ideas are taken from personal experience, but a lot comes from conversations I’ve had with people. You could be sat there and have someone spilling their heart out to you and you can think, hang on, I can relate to that. Or, I’ve reacted in a similar way.

“I mean, how many times have you had someone dump you who you really love and that you didn’t want to lose?

“And how did you react? Did you do something silly like send a hurtful text message to try and hurt them?

“These are all very human emotions, something we all have in common.“

A lone chair placed on a patio. A solitary mug abandoned on a picnic table. A make-up bag forsaken on a made bed.

Each image, in black and white, has been printed up in a similar way to a Polaroid image.
But whereas a Polaroid would be used to capture precious pictures of friends and family, these snaps contain no people which, Erin reveals, is to highlight loneliness.

Text accompanies each picture, but it’s jarring and lacking sense, emphasising to the viewer the feelings of anger and hurt intended in the photographs.

“When you think of the title, you think of a relationship disintegrating. But actually these pictures were taken inside Eastbourne hospital’s psychiatric unit,“ says Erin.

“There is still a lot of shame surrounding mental illness, a lot of people try to hide it. I used to work in a psychiatric unit, so I’ve experienced this first-hand.

“People have to ask for permission to be able to leave wards, no matter what their status is. I wanted to capture the loneliness and how difficult it is cope with the emotions involved. Some people are driven to the edge of despair because of a broken heart, because of the impact love has had upon them.

“It’s an emotion, a human condition that a lot of people have trouble contending with.“
Have you ever struggled with this emotion, Erin?

“If you think about it, if someone declares their love it’s quite a big burden to be given, especially if you don’t reciprocate that feeling,“ she says, her voice quietening.

“Someone you may see as a friend expresses that romantic love to you, and even if you don’t want it to affect your relationship it does, you end up with this big thing between you.

“It happened to me, but I couldn’t cope with the feeling it created and so I cut contact.

“I’m letting them back into my life now, we’re talking, but I needed that space, to get things sorted so I could proceed.

“In the end, a lot of the work I produce tends to be cathartic. Haven’t you ever felt like that?“ ...

You told me you loved me (Then I was trapped) is at Space2 Gallery, Watford Museum, Lower High Street, Watford until August 31. Details: 01923232297, www.watfordmuseum.org.uk