| This series is an exploration of sisterhood. This is perhaps one of the most complexly human relationships, that is often overlooked. Taken over two years, I photographed and interviewed almost eighty sets of sisters in their homes, in a range of configurations. This was in an attempt to understand more about the relationship both visually in their presentation and also through conversation. Sisterhood is, of course, a lifetime relationship. These photographs however, by their nature, are of a moment in time. This is true in their creation as well as their result. I wanted to strike the balance between expressing their collectivity and individuality, the images sitting somewhere between snapshots and more formal portraits typically seen of families. There are many elements at play – familiarity, trust, competition, love, and understanding. And in each set all or most of these have been present but in varying degrees and with different emphases. The fact that they come from the same home, are usually born in the same era, same gender and spend a lifetime developing together makes it a fascinating and unusual example of human development and dynamics. This project began from reflecting on my own relationship with my sister. Over a number of years I had felt a pressure to conform and have a kind of relationship that, for so many reasons didn’t come naturally. Ours is a tempestuous one, one that has ultimately left us at some distance. I wanted to question and explore this through the eyes of other sisters. I don’t know if I’ve found all the answers I was looking for, but what I have certainly learnt is that a sororal relationship is like no other, often taken for granted and overlooked. Despite most sisters here being relatively close, they open up that even for them it’s not without its flaws. However each endures, a continual presence, a shared anchor point and the last place they can turn. |
