Siblings

SISTERS, Santa Barbara, California, 1976
Black and white photograph created with 120 film, 20” x 20”, Artist’s Collection

As a young man living in Santa Barbara, I was anxious to answer the question: Who am I? I wondered if these strange self-portraits would get me any closer to an answer. Looking at the big sister and the little sister, I think of myself at 10 holding my 5-year-old sister’s hand. Was I a protector, as the older one here appears to be? Or did I need more protection than I could give? The image yields no answer. It’s still, quiet, waiting for a response. Maybe that’s who I am—an older brother who makes art in order to ponder and feel, rather than to protect.

SISTER AND BROTHER, New York City, 2023
Digital color print, 20” x 20”,
Artist’s collection

I paired the sisters, who would now be 50+ years old, with an image of my children, Georgie and Mackey, at ages 34 and 32. Georgie leans into Mackey, who looks out benevolently. Again, I think of the question: Who’s protecting whom? And again, I see that as my question. As a father, I protect my children. As we grow older, the process reverses. Sometimes it’s hard for me to see myself as separate from my children, especially when they’re wearing my masks. As much as my children are able to see themselves as independent beings, and I’m able to see my children as separate from myself, we are all connected in primal ways—wearing and discarding each other’s masks throughout our lifetimes.