STRANGELY FAMILIAR
As an artist, I've always been fascinated by the power of imagery to shape our perceptions of the world around us. That's why I embarked on a project that aimed to challenge the traditional idealized family album. I wanted to create a series of family portraits that didn't conform to the "happy family" aesthetic, but instead explored the complex and often uncomfortable dynamics that exist within families.
To achieve this, I used a unique technique that involved incorporating tights into the portraits. By using this material, I was able to create a sense of distance and distortion, which served to challenge the viewer's expectations and create a feeling of discomfort. The familiar faces of my family members were replaced with stockings and frowns, subverting the traditional notion of the family portrait.
As the project evolved, it began to take on new dimensions. I started to focus on the "strangers" in my family, those members who exist in a limbo between being familiar and unknown. These could be distant relatives or even family members who have passed away and exist only in photographs. Through this exploration, I sought to capture the complex and multifaceted nature of family relationships, which can often be both comforting and unsettling.
Ultimately, my hope is that this series serves as a reminder that families are not always happy or perfect, but are instead complex and multifaceted. By challenging the traditional notion of the family album and exploring the dynamics that exist within families, I hope to encourage viewers to question their own perceptions of what a family should look like and embrace the nuances and complexities that exist within their own families.
To achieve this, I used a unique technique that involved incorporating tights into the portraits. By using this material, I was able to create a sense of distance and distortion, which served to challenge the viewer's expectations and create a feeling of discomfort. The familiar faces of my family members were replaced with stockings and frowns, subverting the traditional notion of the family portrait.
As the project evolved, it began to take on new dimensions. I started to focus on the "strangers" in my family, those members who exist in a limbo between being familiar and unknown. These could be distant relatives or even family members who have passed away and exist only in photographs. Through this exploration, I sought to capture the complex and multifaceted nature of family relationships, which can often be both comforting and unsettling.
Ultimately, my hope is that this series serves as a reminder that families are not always happy or perfect, but are instead complex and multifaceted. By challenging the traditional notion of the family album and exploring the dynamics that exist within families, I hope to encourage viewers to question their own perceptions of what a family should look like and embrace the nuances and complexities that exist within their own families.
