Unknown History; Angel
16x20 Archival Ultrachrome Print © 2007

For some time, I have been drawn to the themes of family, memory, the passage of time and the speculation about how generations intersect with one another. Until recently, these projects have centered on people from my immediate family, my extended family of friends, or from others I have known in my life. Recently a friend gave me some vintage photographs as a birthday gift, hoping to inspire me in creating whatever work was coming next. Over the course of many weeks, these photos lived in my brain, while I was awake and asleep. I played with them graphically and thought about them endlessly. Finally, the format of "Unknown History" appeared, and it felt right. Since then, I have frequented antique stores, looking through hundreds of photos waiting for certain images to call out. I find myself spending hours upon hours with the individuals portrayed in these photographs. Simply the process of repairing some of the damage on the images can take two, three or more days per photo. This gives me time to be with them, ponder their lives and look into their eyes. It occurs to me as I do this work, that the way in which these photographs speak to me are no different then those of my family, with the exception that I do not know anything of their history, and so my words are informed only by my experience of looking. I find myself feeling compassion, amusement and recognition in their faces, and it seems more and more, that the commonalities of people are far greater then their differences.

Patricia Sandler © 2006 All rights reserved.