Surrounded by old photographs, my past envelops me with a sudden rush of remembrance. Here we are family and friends captured in a brief, fleeting moment singled out from the countless hours, days, and weeks that make up our lives.
How happy we look smiling for the camera. How hopeful for the future as we pose here together, frozen for eternity in a fraction of a second and the flash of a camera. One click and an infinitesimal moment is recorded for posterity. Tomorrow’s pain and unfulfilled promises are unforseen, unanticipated.Photographs are given far more importance than they deserve. We use them to document our lives; perhaps even to define us. Then when relationships crumble and children move on into adulthood with their own lives and preoccupations, the frozen images smile back mocking the reality of what is now – what is today.
The life we once had -- was it dream or illusion? Who are these people smiling at us now – these people caught in a millisecond of time?
Photographs wear with age, their brightness fades and their corners become tattered and yellowed; but the images continue to smile at us as they did long ago when the shutter closed and captured one shared smile, one shared space, one microcosmic second in a lifetime.
We have all changed since those first pictures were taken. We are older, and perhaps wiser. Photographs provide proof that we have lived, but they can never tell others who we really are. Photographs are, after all, only superficial shards of the life we leave behind.
I love old family photos like that. They somehow feel so mysterious to me. Maybe because, like you said, they never really tell the whole story.
ReplyDeleteThese are great works of art! I also like the photographs! Thanks for sharing these!...Daniel
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting. You are right, there is a mystery about old photographs and old things. You can almost feel the spirit of the people. That's why I love to browse in antique stores and why I like to buy used furniture. It really speaks to me!
ReplyDeleteLovely drawings. I do like looking at old photos and trying to think about what life was like for them. When I choose a photo to paint, I try very hard to let the spirit and essence show through in the painting. Not always easy, especially if you don't know the subject well. But, I try.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jane! I try to also. I think my most successful "capture" was in two paintings: "Day Dreams" and "With These Hands--Wonder" both on my online gallery @ http://carol-allen-anfinsen.artistwebsites.com
ReplyDeleteLovely to have you follow my blog,I will do the same. Enjoyed your video and the old photos. Hugs, Amy
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