Film Flaws

This is the “Film Flaw” collection. A flaw is not a weakness or deficiency; it is a new truth. It’s a message and a mirror reminding us to look deeper. What do memories feel like in our bodies? What languages do we create to translate our way of seeing/being? I’m trying to move away from the control that there’s a right way release perfection from my vocabulary. I am moving toward sharing what lights me up; when I stop overthinking for a moment I can feel it, observe, listen, and trust what is showing up.

If you are interested in one of the pieces, feel free to reach out to inquire.

I have letters, old checkbooks, address books, diaries, slides and photos Raymond made over the years and the ultimate treasure when I discovered them were the reels of film shot in the 40’s and 50’s by various family members including Raymond, my Grandfather Willard, my Great Grandmother Marguerite, and it appears my Grandmother Victoria held the camera at times as well. I’ve watched them all endlessly and imagine all the different pieces I will make with them.

As I reviewed them I started to notice moments where the film was exposed, singed, atrophied, faded, aged, etc. My dear friend Kristin helped me digitize them which was an immense gift. We got to pull out the projectors and hear that glorious sound. Every frame was a surprise; it was a connective tissue to my history and other storytellers in my family; it elicited joy I couldn’t have imagined. As a child, I always saw my Uncle Raymond with a camera in his hand and he’d often be coming back from a grand journey and his tiny apartment felt palatial. I studied the objects and imagined each item plucked from a small store owner’s hand while on an epic trip to somewhere I’d only dreamed of or read about. The footage holds beautiful nature imagery, farmland, parades, horses, cars…I started to see the images between the images as so rich and complex and I wanted to somehow pull moments from the reels to create with them and find compelling ways to share the work.