Maybe this is somewhat cheating since I'm writing a paper on her. But she was a photographer I chose off a list other of others, her subject matter intriguing me the most. Her work, The Canaries, deals with people who suffer from MCS, or Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Jensen herself says she suffers from this ailment as well. What this condition entails is a hyper sensitivity to chemicals that are ordinarily used in every day life such as fabric cleaners, synthetics, cell phone signals, cleaning products, perfumes, etc.. Sufferers of this condition get physically ill from being around these chemicals and many have moved to isolated areas. Jensen claims to have gone to therapy to help with her symptoms, so that she need not use a respirator or mask when going out into the city. This raises questions about hypochondria and the illness just being in one's head, but when looking at Jensen's photos, one wonders why anyone would willingly choose to live the way these people do unless they had a serious issue with this condition. It makes one aware of the chemicals that we consume on a daily basis and if they're really as safe as we think they are. The way Jensen photographs her subjects gives one a sense of anxiety and isolation when looking at them, the subjects being separated from the normal world and being surrounded by foiled rooms, respirators and masks.
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