The new photography exhibition, “Close to Home” at the Smithsonian American Art Museum is intimate and inspiring. The exhibition features around two to three photographs each from nine photographers. Each photographer approached the idea of photographing their own family in very different ways. A group exhibition like this really emphasizes the many different approaches people can take on the same subject.
Photographing your own family for fine art purposes can be a very difficult task to take on. It is intimate and personal, and it typically remains private. The nine photographers featured in the exhibition had to go beyond family snapshots, and photograph their families in a new, serious, and revealing way. It is evident that many of the photographers thought carefully about how they want to portray their family members, and what the photographs would ultimately tell about the subjects.
Two photographers, Tina Barney and Margaret Strickland, both took a similar approach to photograph what seemed like ‘candid moments’, but were carefully orchestrated photographs. Margaret Strickland showed her family through her teen sister’s life. Tina Barney’s photographs show elite middle class family members in their environment. Both sets of photographs spoke about family lifestyles using every day scenes. The photographers did get their messages across, but the photographs themselves felt stagnant and staged. In my opinion, it would be easier to connect to the scenes in the photographs if they felt more natural.
The same goes for the photographs in the exhibition by Larry Sultan. Sultan portrayed his mother and father, each in separate photographs. The portraits of his parents feel lifeless and stale, which may have been what he was trying to accomplish. Looking at the pictures, I feel no connection to either subject, which may be how Sultan feels towards his parents.
One photographer, Christopher Dawson, took a unique approach to the challenge of photographing his own family. Dawson photographed every day scenes and events of his family using panoramic views. While his photographs showed wide and expansive views, they were ultimately the most intimate because the images were the most real and honest. Dawson went beyond taking snapshots of his family but still captured real, small moments among his family.
Virginia Beahan and Elaine O’Neil both tackled the subject of the mother and daughter relationship. Virginia Beahan photographed herself with her mother, and said the experience brought the two closer together. Elaine O’Neil took a picture of herself with her daughter each day. She chose a collection showing the changes over time in themselves and between them. For these two photographers, the experience and process of taking the photographs was as important, if not more, than what the final product would be.
Over all, the Smithsonian exhibition offers a variety of works that approach the same subject. It is a small, intimate show, but it is very inspiring. Walking through the show makes you think about your own family. It makes you question how you feel about them and how you would want to portray them to the world.
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