Your parents can have a significant impact on your life, as Philip Larkin’s 1971 poem „This Be The Verse“ suggests. Larkin laments how parents unintentionally pass on their faults to their children. He advises getting out early and not having kids of your own. Photography, a medium closely related to parenthood, allows artists to capture the intimacy or estrangement they feel towards their parents. From Imogen Cunningham’s portraits of her parents to Richard Billingham’s pictures of his father, photographers often seek to preserve the presence of their parents through their work.
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Leigh Ledare’s collaboration with his mother, Tina, resulted in the book „Pretend You’re Actually Alive“ (2008). The book features explicit photographs of Tina posing in salacious positions, alongside images of Ledare’s family members. The candid nature of the book reveals the complex dynamics within their family. Ledare’s personal recollections and artifacts from his mother’s past add layers of depth to the narrative.
Through a series of intimate and revealing photographs, Ledare explores his mother’s performance for him, blurring the lines between familial love and personal desires. The book captures a moment of sexual awakening for Ledare, intertwined with his mother’s struggle to support herself. „Pretend You’re Actually Alive“ is a poignant reflection on family relationships and personal identity.
Ledare mentioned that there is a family feud happening between his mother and his grandfather, who lives nearby. He explained that he was brought into the conflict to help his mother present herself in a sexualized way that made his grandfather uncomfortable. Ledare hinted at his grandfather’s past transgression which led him to step down from a ministerial position.
According to Ledare, the project is a collaborative effort where his mother takes the lead. He described it as a form of art that involves withholding judgment to engage the viewer. The dynamics between Ledare and his mother are complex, as he, a professional image-maker, helps her bring her fantasies to life. The ethical implications are left for the audience to ponder.
Ledare’s work involves exploring the boundaries of permission in photography, sometimes formalized in contracts with subjects. His documentary, The Task (2017), shows him intruding on a group relations conference. He is currently training to become a psychoanalyst, prioritizing self-understanding over a cure.
Similarly, Charlie Engman’s collaboration with his mother in fashion photography challenges norms. The book MOM (2020) captures their 12-year partnership, portraying Kathleen in unconventional ways. Engman’s images blend the personal and the commercial, highlighting the visibility of photographic language and critique. Collaborating with his mother allowed Engman to push boundaries comfortably.
Engman’s photography, like Ledare’s, can be provocative and sometimes sexy. Kathleen is portrayed in various poses and states, often challenging traditional notions of desire. The images convey a matter-of-fact approach to the body, sometimes exposing vulnerability. Engman’s aesthetic mixes fantasy with reality, presenting his mother in drag-like personas.
In MOM, Engman takes on a dominant role in directing his mother’s portrayal. The power dynamics between them are evident, with Kathleen assuming a submissive role. Engman’s aesthetic, influenced by social media and art photography, shapes the narrative of the book. The images towards the end of the book reveal a disturbing side to the project, showcasing Engman’s control over his mother’s image. Kathleen is under the control of the photographer, as she can only hold her breath for a limited time.
Charlie Engman’s work on MOM has led him to consider the morality of his work more deeply, realizing the importance of other people’s feelings. He continues to work as a commercial photographer, but his mother remains the central focus of his practice, even as he incorporates AI into his work. Sheida Soleimani’s ongoing series, „Ghostwriter,“ delves into her family’s history of political persecution and immigration, turning their stories into art with their collaboration. Soleimani’s work with her parents is a consensual practice that challenges the power dynamics of photography. „Die Linse ist ein Schwanz, der die Welt nicht einvernehmlich durchdringt“, sagt die Künstlerin gerne zu ihren Studenten. Dada-Collage, deren Schneiden, Kleben und Überlagern Soleimani fasziniert, wird ebenfalls von Gewalt heimgesucht.
Fotografie, wie Familie, wird von Fragen der Macht, des Besitzes und der Autonomie verfolgt. Das Fotografieren der eigenen Eltern wirft diese vertrauten, aber dennoch grundlegenden ethischen Fragen auf. Das liegt zum Teil daran, dass jeder Betrachter intuitiv versteht, was auf dem Spiel steht, wenn man seine Mutter nackt sieht. Aber es liegt auch daran, dass wir hier klar erkennen können, wie Fotografie in zwei Richtungen gleichzeitig wirkt. Die Künstler hier haben die Bilder ihrer Eltern aufgenommen, ja, aber ihnen auch etwas im Gegenzug gegeben. Ledare gab seiner Mutter, Tina, Zugang zu den luftigen Sphären der Hochkunst, die sie als junge Tänzerin kurzzeitig bewohnte, aber durch Mutterschaft davon abgehalten wurde. Engman hat Kathleen zu einer Art viralen Ikone gemacht; da sich Schönheits- und Inklusionsstandards ändern, ist sie als Modell gefragt. Und Soleimani hat Geschichten externalisiert und geteilt, die ihre Eltern in sich getragen haben, „Ghostwriting“ von Erzählungen, die sie nicht die Sprache oder die Freiheit hatten, zu erzählen.