This Is Not Your Family

Through a series of photographs of my family, I attempt to give form to the tumult of love, fear, forgiveness and acceptance that goes into making a life together. For me, a single image cannot adequately sum up the undulations of a family's dynamics. This work was made while observing the dissolution of my parents’ 33-year marriage, and their attempts to repair it. This has caused me to consider my own role as father, husband, provider and son. I've been forced to confront my fear of inadequacy and the unsustainability of my current occupation as an independent photographer. In my frequent times of uncertainty, I look to my father and the world around me for answers, patterns, and clues that will help me as I try to walk the delicate balance of father and artist. No answers seem to be forthcoming. These photographs are a chance to examine the space between chaos and comfort while wrestling with the responsibility of being a young husband and father. I made this work for me. I made it to remind myself in the years to come that even when I have given up on myself, on photography and on life, that family remains, forgives, and endures.