Wren Gardiner

play

/plā/

 

verb

1. to engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.

 

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The older the I get, the less I observe my peers at play and the more I findmyself forgetting to include play in my daily life.  I began creating these images for no other reason than wanting to.  I was not sure how I wanted them to function.  As I continued to create, I first thought the images could be about identity, but kept coming back to the fact that I hadn’t thought about that at all while creating them. Furthermore, the process of making these images became more of an adventure in which both the subject, Dillon, and I began collaborating.  Our roles of being behind or in front of the camera never changed, but Dillon began making creative suggestions, while obscure tidbits of myself began to subtly appear in the photos, such as a shadow or signature piece of clothing. The photos never come out the same. They fluctuate, mimicking the way play within relationships operate, as opinions evolve and new knowledge is gained.