confusion

This image is titled Pakeha and Maori with Moko
I went to my last tutorial thinking that this was my new favorite image. It was soon made clear to me that this was most peoples least favorite image out of my recent work, and of course, that the image I had liked the least, was everyone's favorite. How confusing. I'm still coming to terms with it. I can see how the ethical and political issues of this image could be potentially problematic. But regardless of this I was interested in pursuing the use of it in my work. Now I am having to step back and weigh it all up. Feedback is always appreciated.

great-grandmother, granddaughter, and great-grandson

sisters

On this journey of superimposing images together, it strikes me how two images could be combined so differently.

Here we have sisters



And sisters (2)




They are the same sisters

mother and son

a notion of transmutation of relationship and culture in New Zealand


This is perhaps a more apt description of what it is I am looking at in my current work... I'm yet to nut it out completely, I'm getting there though, slowly.

Here is an image titled mother and son, it's of my son and I



Here is the image I took also titled mother and son. I made this image first, and felt that there was something else that I could gain by repeating and changing the image. The new one above is much different than this earlier version, and I don't know if much can be gained by directly comparing them, but here they are anyway.

mum and dad

In continuation from my recent work, here is an image titled - mum and dad
it's my mum and dad, hence the title.




And here are my new refined (and verbose) research questions for my MFA -

In what ways are notions of identity influenced and altered by intimate and family relationships, by cultural background and relationship to other cultures (in particular the relationship and effect on Pakeha by
Maori), and how can these complex ideas of identity be explored using photography?

In what ways has (family) photography as a historical tool aided and influenced ideas of ‘self’ and how can this be explored through photographic montage and the use of layering to generate ideas of an accumulative ‘self’?

In what ways does (family) photography aid and influence the development of our understanding of who we are and how can photography be used to explore the notion of an accumulative/evolutional identity?

In what ways are notions of identity influenced through genealogy and how has this been aided by (family) photography?

back onto it again

I've taken a bit of time off over summer to enjoy myself, and to swim, sit in the sun and read and such like. However, my second and final year of my MFA is underway now, so I am busy today procrastinating starting on the presentation I need to have competed in a few weeks by posting on this blog, and other such time wasters. You'd think since I can only work on this when our baby is asleep or when he is being looked after by my Mum or Owen I wouldn't procrastinate so, and certainly I do it much less than I used to. I have one more task on my list of things to do before starting MFA work after this post, then I better get on to it!

My recent revelation in my work is that I am interested in accumulative identity or (for want of a better word) evolutional identity. This enompases the range of questions I have been asking in relation to how identity is effected and in turn perceived by family heritage, our race and race relations, our closest relationships and by our own perceptions. I am yet to clarify this statement (this is what I have been putting off doing) so I hope once I start I will have sorted it out with a bit more eloquence. As one of my tutors calls it, it is our 'punch line' that one liner answer that you can give when some one asks you that dreaded question at a dinner party, "So, what do you do?"

two little boys

I am a sucker for sentimental songs, poetry, and old fashioned music amongst other things. I remember hearing this song when I was a little girl and loving it then, I think it brought tears to my eyes way back then when I was only 4 or 5 years old. I have been tuned into national radio recently, and this evening they played it. I haven't heard it for so long and it brought tears to my eyes again. And just so it's not so random, here is a picture of my boy and another little boy playing together today.

Two little boys

(Morse - Madden arr. Braden) H. Darewski Music / EMI / Redwood Music (P) 1969
Cond. Alan Braden - Produced by Mickey Clarke

Two little boys had two little toys
Each had a wooden horse
Gaily they played each summer's day
Warriors both of course
One little chap then had a mishap
Broke off his horse's head
Wept for his toy then cried with joy
As his young playmate said

Did you think I would leave you crying
When there's room on my horse for two
Climb up here Jack and don't be crying
I can go just as fast with two
When we grow up we'll both be soldiers
And our horses will not be toys
And I wonder if we'll remember
When we were two little boys

Long years had passed, war came so fast
Bravely they marched away
Cannon roared loud, and in the mad crowd
Wounded and dying lay
Up goes a shout, a horse dashes out
Out from the ranks so blue
Gallops away to where Joe lay
Then came a voice he knew

Did you think I would leave you dying
When there's room on my horse for two
Climb up here Joe, we'll soon be flying
I can go just as fast with two
Did you say Joe I'm all a-tremble
Perhaps it's the battle's noise
But I think it's that I remember
When we were two little boys

Do you think I would leave you dying
There's room on my horse for two
Climb up here Joe, we'll soon by flying
Back to the ranks so blue
Can you feel Joe I'm all a tremble
Perhaps it's the battle's noise
But I think it's that I remember
When we were two little boys