Fam-i-ly n., pl. -lies.
- Domestic group of people, or a number of domestic groups linked through descent.
- A fundamental social group in society.
- A group of like things; a class.
- An association of people who share common beliefs or activities.
Since the birth of photography, the family album has been revered as one of the most precious elements of the domestic realm. And while each photograph is taken with the intention of preserving our private moments, much of what is captured on film is posed with the desire to appeal to the public realm, to society.
We cling to illusions of family unity and stability in an effort to portray values we feel obligated to hold. In response to the traditional photo album as a portrait of the public American family, my work explores the hidden relations within family portraiture. I strove to depict members of my own family absent of their roles within the home as well as within society as a whole.
In choosing my family as my subject, collusions must be established, and privacies must be held up to the light of inspection. Some poses are dropped while others are adopted, knowing that the full story can never truly be finished. It is my intuition that ultimately drives this project forward, as I do away with the candid snapshot and stage each image with the hopes of a more honest and pure result as the notion of staging has been taught to us since birth.
The presence of the camera and our awareness of the impending image and its power makes the art of photography an instrument in redefining the basis of human life. Through the lens, we capture family not only as a memento, but as a testimony of the glorious, mundane, even tragic moments of our history that are so often forgotten among all of the common, yet comforting images of birthday cakes and Christmas trees.
