Memory is such a slippery construct. Our stories all vary according to the roles we play and the baggage we’re carrying into the moment. In Home Alone I have explored the concepts of memory, perspective and the power of hindsight. I revisit my own individual stories and also those of my family. In this series I question my ability to access the truth by exploring the creation of the myth; the concepts of the real and the unreal; the truth and individual perspective.
Home Alone is a series of closely cropped self portraits. Eyes, mouth, torso, hands, legs and feet are juxtaposed with photographs of objects and environments close to home. Found photographs of my historic self interplay with present and future selves. The images are hand coloured and drawn over, then rephotographed. Printed as large format digital prints on paper, they are a simulation – a flawed copy of a flawed copy. There is a tension between the photographic image and the hand drawn mark. The objects are allegorical and I matched and mismatched the self and the object to create a simulation of my history. I am continually asking the question, “what was real and what was pretend?” In this body of work I have decided to make one of my versions of the story.
Each image is a fragment or time capsule. There is an elasticity that exists between them, moving backwards and forwards. One event assuming significance, while another fades. There are different truths for all the players in the story and even layers of meaning inside each version of the truth. Being human is not an exact science. There is no “real” definitive truth. The best we can hope for is that there is truth in the moment.