Family Photographs..

I've been working on my family tree recently and generally lookin through old photographs of family and asking my mother questions about particualr people. I've been so interested in exploring my body and myself that I started questioning who I am in a deeper sense. Where have I come from? Who were my ancestors? Is there any artistic links there? do I share any similar traits with members of my family?

I've even been looking at immediate family members and considering what their impact on me has been? Have they ever exposed me to something that has influenced the person I am. That could be in art or many other things. Have they hurt me? Have they been there for me? Has a particular family situation left an impact on me? deaths, marriages, births?

I think this is where I'm going to take my work during my fellowship year. Combining my work of the body with a mental map of the people who have influenced me to bring me to this point.

While researching my family tree I dug out a few old family photographs to get the ball rolling. I also joined up to Genes Reunited , a website with access to census records and births, marriages and deaths records. I've already gone 4 generations back on my mothers maternal line to around 1880...

These first 4 photos are of my nan Pat (Patricia Jackson) my Mum's mother. The first one is her in the 60's with a huge beehive and an amazing orange mini skirt. the 2nd is her at about aged 16 as bridesmaid at her sisters wedding...I need to find oout the date. The one where shes in a pub in a green blouse is probably ealry 90's btu she looks exactly the same as now, My nan never ages, everybody says it. The last photo is her, me as baby and my aunty Kerry, my Mums sister. 

These next photos are of my other Nan, my dad's mother, Mary, Firstly having a great time holding a bottle of barcadi, haha. The 2nd photo is very old from her wedding to my grandfather, who I never met as her died when my father was quite young, I assume its sometime in the 40's.

These next few are of my mum when she was younger. The first she is really young I'm guessing 12? shes so cute and vintage looking, haha so cool.  The 2nd photo is her about 17/18 in a garden somewhere doing a rather sensible leg pose..with a guy I really don't know. The 3rd is her around about the same age In a club I think, lookin a little intoxicated. The last is my mother on her wedding day, it was new years day 1994 If I remember correctly. She still says to this day she doesn't understand why she got married she never had ay intention to...that says it all really.

These next few are of me, my brother and sister.

1. me and gary taking a bath

2. gary, fay and me on her christening day

3. my dad and gary having a bath

4. me with the christmas dude

5. me and gary with christmas dude