"They are mostly...my own creations. It is almost as if I am writing little narratives about life using my family and friends as characters to illustrate certain realities of experience"
-Jessica Todd Harper
McNear, S.A. (2007) "Interview with Jessica Todd Harper".
Interior Exposure, 1-6.
Photographer Jessica Todd Harper's body of work straddles the line between family portraits and tableaux. In each image, she uses members of her family, often surrounded by the ephemera of home, to tell a story, illustrate tensions, or investigate their personalities. Just as it is hard to classify Harper's photographs, it is difficult to tell which scenes are spontaneous and which have been carefully orchestrated. Familiar faces come in and out of the frame, and the viewer understands the relationships between certain figures over the breadth of the series. The images in this book show the growth of a family over seven years, children grow to their prime, and elderly figures fall out of focus as the years progress. Nearly every image is an interior shot, illuminated by the glow of a nearby window or open doorway. Posture and positioning of the figures is key. The artist's younger sister, Becky grows more self-assured and comfortable before the camera, and Harper's attraction and physical relationship with her husband Chris are evident through their positioning. The artist makes sure to leave objects strewn about her interiors, because each element evokes memories for the family.
Although it may not be as evident in my work as it is in Harper's, I often base photos around experiences with my family. My entire series of tableaux was sparked by a snapshot taken during a family vacation. In this now notorious photo, my father scolds my younger brother while my mother and I stand watching. My body blocks the main action, yet there are enough clues for the viewer to glean what might be occurring. My brothers and father also make several appearances in my images, often disguised or slightly out of focus to hide the frequency of their cameos.
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