Monika Macdonald's own words perfectly set the tone for experiencing the images included in In Absence. She says, 'there is a kind of erotic magnetism emanating from the people portrayed, rather than originating in the eye of the beholder. Instead of enticing interaction, it is an invitation to peek into a private world.' Here, through tender touches between people to moments of intimacy experienced between one person and their own thoughts, the theme of privacy is explored.