Preserving the Past to Redesign the Future

My dad has always been one for remembering his family's history. I remember several years ago he had received several storage boxes filled with old photos. He took it upon himself to scan all the photos into a digital archive on his computer and create a photo collage that he put on the wall of our family room. Even before that photo archiving phase it was obvious that remembering family history is important to him. Heck I'm named after two great great (I don't know exactly how many 'greats') grandmothers on his side of the family. Even though all the photos already existed, there was a need to create digital copies. I'm not saying this is wrong, but it's interesting how much paranoia there is about losing the past. We've all heard the warning from teachers, "don't forget to save your word document" or, "did you back it up?". In a digital age where it is so easy to replicate, copy, paste we become so guarded over things we might lose. I believe this is valid because you never know if a fire will destroy the hundreds of original family mementos you have. This is something that we see with everyday photos as well. We take pictures to "remember the moment"--School photos to remember our youth, Instagram photos of that perfectly plated salad you ordered that one time. They're always there!

Instead of trying to replicate the past why not reinvent it? As I have mentioned in other posts in my blog, I believe there is a difference between photos for photos sake and photography. I am not saying that one is better than the other, however they do have different intentions. Photos for photos sake might be quick snaps you add to social media stories to document your day or life while, to me, photography is the way in which you use images to show the world in a thought-provoking perspective. I would therefore argue that there is more substance to photography. Something I tried to do this week was take a subject such as family history which usually involves replication and try to re-imagine it as photos that incorporate that history, but with a modern twist.

These photos showcase a small portion of an old sewing machine stand we've had in our family for a long time. I thought just the bit that says our last name needed some focus. It's not about the sewing machine stand, but rather why this name was so important to incorporate in a metal stand back when it was made and why this name is still important now. In this way, the photograph is including the historic piece that is the sewing machine stand, but looking at it in a new way. This section is quite small and towards the bottom of the stand, so it takes bending low to the floor in order to see it clearly. This piece itself is a reinvention of history. Instead of holding a sewing machine, it now has a glass top and is used as a side table in my parents' dining room. Maybe one of these photographs will be added the family photo collage to add something both new and old. Photography doesn't have to be boring or repetitive. It is what you make it.