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A photo collage of a man wearing a boy george hat with all skin and face covered with a red and white striped pattern
A man with a red face and arms pushing his grandchild on a swing
A man holding a fish, Photo collage
A photo collage of a face
A man putting on a helmet, photo collage
3 people stood together at a party, photo collage.

Thicker Than Water, 2022 

Thicker than water is a body of work created from 2020 -2022. It explores the semiotic power of vernacular photography through the re-construction of familial narratives using appropriated archival material derived from my own family photo albums. 

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The richness of information that emanates from vernacular imagery or "social photos,"  (Jurgenson, 2022) is far more relevant today, being the principal form of communication (certainly for my generation) and perhaps beyond. It is therefore imperative that as individuals we take the time to understand this new form of visual communication.  

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The collages are a manner of thinking and speaking about my own visual identity in relation to my family and their experiences historically. Living vicariously through these images, narratives have been re-constructed utilising my perception of my family and my understanding of imagery created by individuals no longer with us. 

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Speaking for my relatives through heavy use of aesthetics, loaded into the collages through scanning, physical collaging and prolific digital editing. The heavy layering process creating dizzying visuals reminiscent of  contemporary image culture. 

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A self portrait photo collage
3 Men standing in a bar holding pints, photo collage.
A woman being carried in the air at a party, photo collage
A man sitting at a table covered in beer bottles, photo collage
A man and a woman stood next to eachother, photo collage.
A group of people in a kitchen at a fancy dress party, photo collage.
A signature, handwritten
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