Mother/Father diptych: These images are of my parents on their wedding day. The text describes the relationship when my father was dying of cancer 60 years later.
I realized early on that the most immediate and strongest influence in my work is the family. The family is one of the key agents of socialization in society, transmitting culture, values, and behavioral models to each generation. Since the age of fourteen, I have kept a daily journal. In 1977, when I began to photograph, it was natural to combine my journal writings with images. My objective is to provoke thoughts, ideas, memories, and discussion. What began as a personal recording has turned into a social document. In my work, artist and viewer alike examine the details of family and social life, and learn more about who and what one is in the socially organized world. I use autobiographical stories to depict subtle ways we are taught to be male and female in our culture. Text is used not to simply describe but to add another layer to the work. My intent is to show that reality is not hard and simple but multi-leveled and fragile, that persons in complex societies tend to have multiple roles.“ Judy Gelles 2006
