"This project revolves around my great-aunt's house in Wisconsin, which was designed by Gus A. Krasin and built under the supervision of my great-grandfather Hamilton Roddis in 1914. Last year, as my great-aunt neared the end of her life, the future of this house, which had been significant to the psyche of my extended family for nearly one hundred years, began to look uncertain. I turned to photography as a way of documenting and preserving that shared history.The thoughts behind this project are slightly different to mine, with Bostock focusing on objects that had been stored away for years. However, I do want to document my home as I remember it in nostalgic memories, in a similar way to The Roddis House. Also, the style of her photographs is very similar to that which I am trying to make, with natural, neutral light and simple compositions.
As I unearthed buried objects found in drawers and dark closets throughout the house, I realized it was not only a documentary project but also a personal investigation of nostalgia and how we envision the past from the present perspective. How do we prepare for the passage of time and teach ourselves to remember the past? What do we leave behind by accident or on purpose?This is how one family left their memories to be found and how I choose to remember."
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| © Gillian Louise Bostock |
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| © Gillian Louise Bostock |
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| © Gillian Louise Bostock |
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| © Gillian Louise Bostock |
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| © Gillian Louise Bostock |
With this project, I particularly relate to the variety of different framings for the images - capturing both small details and whole rooms. And, as I am trying to do myself, the house looks lived in. I've realised that this is probably the most important thing for me in my project, to ensure that the viewers recognise that my house has adjusted to the family as it grows.
Bostock's images succeed in working well together as a series. Although they were probably shot over a relatively long period of time, the style and the tones are consistent enough to tie all the images together. This is something I need to consider. The image in the series that I consider to be most linked to my project is that of the bureau, covered with books and letters. I've been trying to utilise repetition and large amounts of detail in my photographs, and here I think Bostock really succeeds with that idea. There is almost too much detail in the image, but it is interesting enough for the viewer to want to spend some time with it, to try to decode the owner's personality. Also, although there is a lot of detail, the strong lines running both vertically and horizontally through the image help it to keep a solid structure. This also rings true of the image of the crockery cupboard. The edges of the frame match the edges of the cupboard, giving the viewer an opportunity to see the details fully.
Although the ideas behind Bostock's project are not exactly the same as mine, I am attempting to capture a similar style of image to hers. In some cases, I want to shoot areas of the house that aren't necessarily as well presented as these. To me that shows the reality of family life. I have taken several images that I am pleased with so far, but the next stage will be to ensure that the images I choose to make the final edit all work together as a series, not only tied together through subject matter, but through style, tone and composition as well.
http://gillianbostock.com/
http://inmenlo.com/2011/09/29/gillian-bostock-capturing-the-spirit-of-a-family-home/
Another 4 films have been sent off for processing, so the results of those will be posted when I receive them back!
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