ARTWORK DETAILS

Shekira Smith Pimlico State High School
Nostalgic Reflections Photograph
Fifteen black and white digital photographs printed on paper

ARTIST STATEMENT

Childhood objects. They are artefacts of personal histories and triggers for episodic memory. They are part of our identities and reveal much about who we are. ‘Nostalgic Reflections’ displays 15 diverse adults of various age groups, each holding an item kept from their childhood. Facial expressions and body language reflect emotions brought forth from the act of remembering objects and recounting stories. The artwork highlights the similarities of our collective childhood experiences, yet how diverse each individual's memories can be. It shows that childhood truly does shape who a person becomes, and that objects are part of this journey.

ARTWORK PROCESS

Initially I emailed teachers to ask for volunteers. On a nominated day, I used my Nikon DSLR camera and tripod to photograph each adult individually with their object. Before photographing, each person shared their childhood memory. We discussed what emotions were most prominent when sharing their story and how best to capture this in their portrait through body language. Several photographs were taken of different variations, from which the most effective were selected. Through experimentation with editing, I decided on black and white and increased contrast. The 15 printed images were arranged to best promote movement, keeping the viewer engaged.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Shekira Smith

No biography provided.

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