mothers and daughters

these photos are a selection from the thesis project i produced for my masters in southern studies at the university of mississippi. when my mom was only eighteen, her mother died of cancer. i never met my grandmother, Opal, and my mom rarely spoke of the years before her death. when my grandfather died a few years ago, he left us with a collection of trunks that Opal gave my mom and her siblings. my mom and i excavated the objects of the trunks, things momma hadn’t seen in nearly thirty years. this process showed me a glimpse of the years my mom cared for her mother and reminded my mom of stories nearly forgotten. through anecdotes and photographs, i get to know my grandmother.

i pair these photos of my mom’s ephemera and family photos with cyanotypes that meld my own past and present. as i grow up, my mom does too. we walk this path of life together.

i gather and preserve the stories. i pick the narcissus and delve into the underworld.