OBJECT PERMANENCE

Object Permanence is a still-life photographic series exploring the connection between parenting and childhood, using objects accumulated over generations. The term ‘object permanence’ is used to describe a child’s ability to understand that objects continue to exist, even though they can no longer be seen or heard. Through the work, I am questioning why families hold onto certain things, and how objects and photography can serve as tools for memory. 

With vibrant colours and graphic compositions, the photos seem at first glance to exude a happy, everything-is-fine mood. But a closer look reveals grubby fingerprints all over a deflated balloon, or ripped hair stuck to an odd collection of tiny brushes. The hero piece displays hundreds of small items; gathered, photographed and displayed at life-size as adhesive wallpaper. From precious gemstones foraged by my grandparents, to small game pieces and feathers found on the street, the composition examines what we place value on, especially when parenting and consumerism now feel so entwined. 

I became a mum in 2022. While grappling with this transition, I came across a theory that has stuck in my mind. Psychotherapist Philippa Perry said in The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read, ‘Whatever age your child is, they are liable to remind you, on a bodily level, of the emotions you went through when you were at a similar stage.’ This prompted me to look back on my own childhood and adolescence. The work speaks to the joys and the struggles of parenthood, and the overload of information, parenting hacks, theories of childhood development and pasta necklaces that come along with modern parenting.

This work was first exhibited at The Mill and developed through The Mill’s Photographer in Residence program, presented with support from the Ana and Christopher Koch Foundation. This project was also supported with funding from City of Adelaide, Creative Australia and Arts SA.