be still, life

From the day Imogen was born, my life changed. Every moment, good, bad, or somewhere in between, that unfolds feels poetic. How can such ephemeral moments be captured? Are these objects prophetic codes to be deciphered about the person my daughter will become, or are they simply a record of what has already transpired between us? Inspired by the visually rich still life painters of 17th century Northern Europe, these moments of happenstance in which a drawing is taped to the cabinet or a collection of rocks is left lying on the windowsill are captured, at times, intuitively and, sometimes, enhanced by the addition of objects for clarity of meaning.

Be Still, Life examines the domestic spaces developed through the arrangement of personal and impersonal objects by mother and daughter, with and without intent. The photographed objects allude to the intimate daily contexts between mother and daughter, and the historical and cultural influences that shape them both. We are tied by experience, memory, and DNA. The series consists of multiple images arranged in sets of implied narratives. Each image is deciphered through the examination of symbolism, metaphor, and color. The series is printed on Red River Palo Duro Etching for the visual and textural richness of this archival paper.