AUDIO
UNFOLDING MEMORIES
Audio 3/15
3.
UNFOLDING MEMORIES – Gillian Wearing
0:00
AUDIO
Gillian Wearing
At first glance, these photographs look like ordinary family pictures. We might not immediately notice anything out of the ordinary. When we look closer, however, we realize that something is strange. In fact, all the photos depict the same woman.
The British artist Gillian Wearing named this series Album. For these works, she transformed herself into her mother, her father, her brother, and even into herself at the age of seventeen. To do this, she had elaborate masks, wigs, and costumes made. Only her eyes remain visible in each image.
It all started with an old photograph of her mother. When she looked at it again years later, Wearing realized that her perspective on the picture had changed. For example, when the photograph was taken, her mother was significantly younger than Wearing remembered her being; and she had not yet met her future husband, the artist’s father. This realization prompted Wearing to reflect on family relationships, memories, and identity.
The artist reconstructed the old photographs with great precision. The lighting, composition, and posture closely follow that of the historical photographs. Despite this, the illusion is not perfect. The artist’s eyes remain visible, constantly reminding us that we see two people at once: the recreated person, and Gillian Wearing herself.
As we look at the pictures, we might ask ourselves: How much of our parents do we carry within us? Which characteristics do we adopt? And how are we different?
Wearing focuses on precisely this tension. She shows that we have a connection to our family, but still remain independent individuals.
The series also highlights the extent to which family photographs influence our own self-image. Many of our ideas about other family members come from the stories and images we hear and see, time and time again. Through her works, Wearing invites us to take a fresh look at these familiar family stories.
The British artist Gillian Wearing named this series Album. For these works, she transformed herself into her mother, her father, her brother, and even into herself at the age of seventeen. To do this, she had elaborate masks, wigs, and costumes made. Only her eyes remain visible in each image.
It all started with an old photograph of her mother. When she looked at it again years later, Wearing realized that her perspective on the picture had changed. For example, when the photograph was taken, her mother was significantly younger than Wearing remembered her being; and she had not yet met her future husband, the artist’s father. This realization prompted Wearing to reflect on family relationships, memories, and identity.
The artist reconstructed the old photographs with great precision. The lighting, composition, and posture closely follow that of the historical photographs. Despite this, the illusion is not perfect. The artist’s eyes remain visible, constantly reminding us that we see two people at once: the recreated person, and Gillian Wearing herself.
As we look at the pictures, we might ask ourselves: How much of our parents do we carry within us? Which characteristics do we adopt? And how are we different?
Wearing focuses on precisely this tension. She shows that we have a connection to our family, but still remain independent individuals.
The series also highlights the extent to which family photographs influence our own self-image. Many of our ideas about other family members come from the stories and images we hear and see, time and time again. Through her works, Wearing invites us to take a fresh look at these familiar family stories.