Every day we are bombarded with images that the solidify the message that youth is the currency of society. The young are to be celebrated and as we age, we should be moved to the shadows.
I was raised by my Mother and grandmother and was brought up to appreciate and value the wisdom and beauty that age brought. That message was reinforced years later by my Mother-in-law who, like my mother and grandmother, was beautiful to me in looks and spirit.
As I grow older, I see the effects that aging has brought to my body. It is much different from what society sees as beautiful. Yet I still believe that what makes us beautiful and real are the lines on our faces, the soft shapes of our bodies, and the gray in our hair.
My work explores the affect that aging has on organic matter and how the aging process reveals a different type of beauty. The images include family heirlooms from these three beautiful women that passed.
I hope that my images “uncovers the Real which isn’t ugly, except to those who don’t understand”. (Velveteen Rabbit)