Twenty Works: Louden PORTFOLIO
"Family Traditions: Feelings & Observations" Series
2012-2013
Cress Family
The photographs in this series share family traditions, some that subjects wanted to bury and some that subjects wanted to freeze in anticipation for a next generation. Text accompanies the piece giving the family members a chance to state their own feelings about their chosen family tradition, a personal identification they hope to pass on, or bury.
The approach to this project was inspired by field research techniques used by social scientists. Just as social scientists record objective field observations of their subjects' I wanted one portion of the project to be portraits that describe a straightforward, documentary look at each individual. In addition, I wanted each subject to be able to share their own feelings choose their own tradition. This was done through each person's choice of frozen object and their text that explains why they see this tradition as so important, often portraying the basis of their core beliefs.
The dark backgrounds in the portraits show the unknown future existence of one's chosen tradition. In addition, the ice solidifies the temporary state of the prized tradition. The individual family portrait, traditionally oval-shaped, is meant to describe an object that should be kept and passed down to future generations. Ultimately the project strives to share a diversity of individual traditions while at the same time offering a bridge between two family groups who hope for a next generation. What is the future of your family culture?