Preview
Creation Date
Winter 2012
Description
Materials: Gelatin Silver Print
Dimensions: 16" x 20"
Project Advisor: Julie Lindemann and John Shimon
Year of Graduation: 2012
Medium
Photography
Rights
Copyright for this work is held by the artist.
Keywords
photography, memories, portraiture, gelatin silver print
Artist Statement
The people in these photographs are the last of the 1-hour photo generation. Today, children grow up with thousands of readily available images on a computer. This work has grown from a very specific idea to a broader, more encompassing theme about memories and the role of physical photographs in our lives. I created this series beginning with my own life. Drawing on my discovery that childhood snapshots are very important to me, I began to research whether this was also true for others around me.
For many people, photographs represent more than an object on the shelf. They contain within their frames a whole memory, almost as if viewing it could transport us back to that moment in time. Even other people’s snapshots can trigger one’s own memories.
My subjects reflect their younger selves. Some brazenly look directly into the camera; others glance away, reflective of how they felt as children when their photos were taken and the memory was made. The black and white of the prints reflects the past, while the large scale of the photographs and the age of the subjects pulls you back into the present. Looking upon a photograph can evoke feelings, moods, and memories that we associate with the imagery.
A photograph is a memory object.
This work was funded in part by a Mellon Senior Experience Grant.