These Small Shrines
2013
The objects and scenes photographed act as private, miniature memorials to the deceased, raising the idea that the family home can be seen as a shrine to lost loved ones; the items within it tell visitors about lost family members, as well as those that are currently alive. These small shrines, although highly private, are, I believe, stronger than any public expression of grief can ever be.
Photography as a medium echoes the ideas of mortality explored through the images subject matter, which was the focus of my Honours dissertation. I explored Roland Barthes Camera Lucida, and texts written in response to this work, questioning whether or not this theory can be applied to photographs.
Photographing in colour highlights the changes in light through out the day, the fading of items, and the presence of dust within the home. All of these elements suggest the passage of time, and link back to ideas of mortality at the heart of the images.
The objects and scenes photographed act as private, miniature memorials to the deceased, raising the idea that the family home can be seen as a shrine to lost loved ones; the items within it tell visitors about lost family members, as well as those that are currently alive. These small shrines, although highly private, are, I believe, stronger than any public expression of grief can ever be.
Photography as a medium echoes the ideas of mortality explored through the images subject matter, which was the focus of my Honours dissertation. I explored Roland Barthes Camera Lucida, and texts written in response to this work, questioning whether or not this theory can be applied to photographs.
Photographing in colour highlights the changes in light through out the day, the fading of items, and the presence of dust within the home. All of these elements suggest the passage of time, and link back to ideas of mortality at the heart of the images.