Mother and Daughter

CAROL, Yardley, Pennsylvania, 1978
Black and white photograph created with 120 film, 20” x 20”, Artist’s Collection

Carol, my sister, is at a family wedding. She appears to be very strong and direct. Her big blue eyes shine brightly even in black and white. She’s very attractive in my mask. I see her beauty and mine at the same time. I also see our mutual pose of hands on hips that seems to say, ‘I am in control.’ As she looks out toward me, I wonder if she sees me or a reflection of herself. My face on Carol’s body reveals a complex femininity. Carol gazes from her mask lovingly, showing me that her gaze is mine. Although we wear very different masks in our everyday lives, the gaze in the photograph seems to tell a different story.

NIKKI, New York City, 2024
Digital color print, 20” x 20”,
Artist’s Proof

Nikki is Carol’s daughter, my niece. In the image, she assumes Carol’s pose, but with less success at projecting a controlling demeanor. Her eyes are smaller than her mother’s, more childlike. Her mask smiles, unlike her mother’s mask which frowns. I rarely see Nikki alone, separate from her mother. I’m glad to see her like this—independent, light-hearted, playful. In her masked face and posture, I see two things--my own fierce independence and my continuous struggle to hold onto it.