Stay at home: MFA Thesis - Photography and Related Media

Abstract

My book, New-New House, Residence of Mr. J.C. Joslyn, Miller Guest Home, Driscoll Home, Opportunity House, The Nut House, and my house is a diaristic depiction of the nostalgia I have for my childhood home while trying to establish a sense of belonging elsewhere. I use expired 35mm film to document my changing surroundings in an attempt to preserve my memories of what home has meant to me throughout my life. I utilize archival photographs and documents from the previous residents who lived in the house to compare their version of home to my own. Through weaving in the historical narrative of my house with a vernacular style of photography showing my experiences in Illinois and New York, my work examines how a sense of home or belonging is established.