Childhood
The images I made for this project are staged recreations of my childhood memories. The series deals with issues of sexual orientation, gender identity and the lifelong imprint left on a child from their family’s dynamic. I felt is was very important to use people I was close to as models so that I could create a safe space to relive these memories. This also strengthened the bond between my models and I. It was a bond my childhood had led me to believe I wasn’t capable of.
I photographed with the intention of the characters lacking an identity. My reason for this is that I wanted not only to photograph in a way that mimics a visual memory, but I also wanted the photos to be accessible by the viewer. Working on this project has enabled me to cope with my past while further strengthening my bond with the people in my present. It is my hope that this project will present itself as an honest story both making the viewer uncomfortable with its blunt straightforward approach, and inviting them its universality on the topic of adolescence.
