Photos from the abandoned farmhouse
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A ten foot crucifix, hidden out of sight
This crucifix used to be planted on my Dad’s farm in Slovenia. Placed between two Linden trees, which are a symbol of Slovenia now, although during the war I’m not sure they were known for that then. I returned in November this year and was stunned to come across this magnificent crucifix hidden away, out of sight. I asked why it was there and found out that after the war ended, the winners, (Partisan Communists) marched through the village shouting “death to the whites”. They also tore the crucifix down and threw it into the road. My father, his sisters and friends had already fled and were on their way to Austria. My grandfather, who had stayed behind, took the crucifix and hid it to protect it and it has remained there to this day over 70 years later. This brings to mind one thing that I have noticed, that the old farmhouse has a very large amount of crucifixes, rosaries and pictures of the Virgin Mary and Jesus. This is probably quite usual in Slovenia, but is quite amazing to me. There is even a small cross cut out of the barn wall, letting in light. Knowing this and reading Dad’s diaries of that time, I can see just how important their faith was. It was a religious war for my Dad.
The two London trees were both later struck by lightning and had to be chopped down. I was hoping to link it to an act by God, but there doesn’t seem to be any connection between the two events.
I used lighting to light the cross for the picture, because it was so dark and hard to see. I do have another photo of it lit by available light, ( after opening the door) but this photo is more beautiful. To me, there is something quite sad and moving about seeing the abandoned cross.
Private view tonight in Amsterdam
Shutterhub are showing their Christmas open at the Art Hotel gallery in Amsterdam. The private view is tonight, if anyone is over there. I have one of my photos in the exhibition. I can’t go to the private view as it clashes with other things I have committed to here. I hope it goes well though. Its very exciting to think that this is the second time I have had either a show or a photo exhibited abroad. Below is a crop of the photo they selected for the exhibition
2 photos in 2 exhibitions. Private views on the same evening!
I should count my blessings, its a great problem to have, to be selected for two exhibitions at the same time. They are both for London Photo Month and being exhibited with lots of other photos. Shutterhub has my photo of a wrapped up carousel and LIP is showing my new photo about my father and Slovenia, called forgiveness. I’ll be going to both private views of course!
2 new artworks- Forgiveness and Prayer to the devil.
“Forgiveness” is a photo of my Dads farm, where he grew up, alongside a recent interview with him about his feelings about what happened to him after the second world war.. “Prayer to the devil” is actually a letter I wrote to the Pope, but the reference to the devil is in the letter itself. I do worry that my letter might make me look a bit foolish, but it is actually how I feel and what I did. I received a kind reply but it doesn’t actually answer my questions, it suggests I go to a local priest. I have further questions now, what penance would be given to those who executed unarmed defenceless Catholics in revenge for war? Or those who fought the war with the germans? Did Tito, an atheist actually ask for forgiveness and who from? What sort of people go to heaven? Surely it can’t be possible to send a good man like my dad to hell, even if he can’t forgive those who tortured him and executed his friends.
These two latest photos are using much more text. I find the subject so complex that I can’t find any other way to do them. It has made me think quite deeply about why text with a photo might be different from using a video with sound and visuals. also which might be better and why. I am also editing the video interview but I haven’t finished that yet. I haven’t reached any conclusions as to which is better, but I have understood some of the differences. Obviously watching a video enables one to see and hear the emotion in the voice and person, this is absent from just text with a photo. However, if one reads text then the words are being internalised and the reader is saying them as though saying it themselves. I’m not sure which one would bring about greater empathy as I know that when I read text, I read it to myself in a monotone voice. I am also too close to the subject to be objective in my analysis. This is something I need to experiment with.
Exhibiting in Barcelona!
1st July to 4th July 2018 at
Centre de Convencions Internacional de Barcelona (CCIB)
Plaça de Willy Brandt, 11-14
08019 Barcelona
Spain
Annual meeting of ESHRE. For scientists and the fertility industry.
Fertility Fest 2018 have organised to be part of this conference and will be showing seven or eight artists on one of the floors of the building. I’m planning to do a minimal installation of a Childs bedroom, a couple of my doll photos and a hand made photo album of the whole doll photo collection.
Really looking forward tom it as I love Barcelona. Barry is coming with me.
Invite to our Open studios
Do come along, Its in woolwich, on the river and there are loads of artists. I’ll only be there on Saturday 9th June to take visitors as I’m going on the suffragette walk on the Sunday, with my sisters. I’m in studio- TB 251 (Telegraph building)
My project “Photos I’ll never take” is featured in the Stylist online.
Here is the link to see the article. I’m delighted to be in the article and have some recognition of my work. They have featured a few of the artists appearing in fertility Fest 2018
Meet the artists exploring the invisible struggle of infertility
Infertility is a subject that many of us struggle to talk about – but a group of artists and photographers wants their work to start difficult conversations.
Around one in eight women in the UK will have difficulty conceiving – yet many of us struggle to talk about infertility. Too often, the subject is met with unhelpful breeziness (“It’ll happen as soon as you stop trying!”), judgement (“Well, you did leave it quite late”) or – perhaps worst of all – awkward silence.
However, a new community of artists and photographers is trying to break the silence around infertility by exploring the subject through their work. These artists include Tabitha Moses, who had her daughter via a donor egg after experiencing miscarriage and unsuccessful IVF, and Tina Reid-Peršin, whose photographic and video installation project Photos I’ll Never Take is reminiscent of a family album – with the role of a child played by a doll.
Work by these artists will be on display at this year’s Fertility Fest, the world’s first arts festival dedicated to fertility. Fertility Fest’s founder, Jessica Hepburn – a former Stylist Woman of the Week – was inspired to ask contemporary artists to exhibit at the festival after visiting Frida Kahlo’s Blue House in Mexico City, and being struck by how the groundbreaking feminist artist explored themes of infertility in her work.
Scroll down to learn more about the artists, their experiences and their work.
Tabitha Moses
Moses’ work is inspired by her experiences of miscarriage, unsuccessful IVF and pregnancy via a donor egg, and this series of portraits reflects the stories of a selection of patients at the Hewitt Fertility Centre in Liverpool.
Using colourful cotton and decorative line, Moses embroidered traditional and non-traditional symbols of fertility – including fertility goddesses and a pair of lucky knickers – onto gowns worn during IVF treatment. She also gathered information about the things people use to help them conceive and embroidered them onto the gowns, such as syringes and empty medical bottles.
Tina Reid-Peršin
Reid-Peršin has been working on her ongoing project Photos I’ll Never Takesince 2011. Through a series of photographic and video tableaux, she explores her feelings about the family she’ll never have, using the concept of a fictional family album to try and convey the sense of grief that accompanies her situation.
In place of a child, she uses a shop mannequin and involves her husband, family members and friends in the creation of the photos.
Gina Glover
Glover’s project Life in Glass was developed during an artist’s residency at the IVF clinic at Guy’s Hospital in London, and draws on the photographic archive of Nobel Prize-winning IVF pioneer, Professor Robert Edwards.
Through her work, Glover aims to enhance the experience of the clinical environment, drawing upon images from the outside world of nature and combining them with scientific images of embryos and sperm.
Sophie Ingleby
Ingleby’s photographic project SEED explores different aspects of fertility treatment through a series of portraits, conceptual and documentary images. SEED Collection is a series of portraits taken minutes before egg collection, while SEED Stories uses clinical imagery from a couple’s treatment cycle to express an experience of having fertility treatment.
Each of the images in SEED represents a key stage in IVF when the statistical chance of having a baby can be measured. The size of the images change as the chance of having a baby fluctuates, representing the physical and emotional rollercoaster of having IVF.
Foz Foster
Foster’s artworks celebrate the lives of his three children lost through miscarriage, challenging the perception that miscarriage happens only to women.
Called Labour of Love, his body of work acts as a double-edged sword between the joys and despairs of an expectant father. Pain will not have the last word is a 76 ft scroll painting exploring the everyday experiences and joys of being a dad.
Isabel Davis and Anna Burel
Conceiving Histories is a collaboration between Davis and Burel, a literary historian and visual artist respectively. The duo produce creative and fictional reworkings of the archival materials of ‘un-pregnancy’, the word they use for the time before diagnosis of pregnancy or infertility.
Fertility Fest runs from 8-13 May at the Bush Theatre, London.
Images: Courtesy of the artists and Fertility Fest
Showing my work at Fertility Fest Saturday 12th May
Looking forward to Fertility Fest and delighted to part of it. Its a wonderful supportive event that talks about fertility and modern families. It’s a much bigger event than in 2016. I’m presenting my art project “Photos I’ll never take” on Saturday 12th May. This time, as well as photos, I’ll also have some videos.
150 artists are taking part and it runs for six days. It included a week long workshop in February, at the National Theatre, exploring fertility education, which I was proud to be part of, and also includes an exhibition in Barcelona in July, which I also hope to be part of.
Webinar- “We are worthy”
Will be taking part in a webinar today. As part of the “We are worthy” summit. Its from 5pm to 6pm. The event is run by Nicci and Andrew Fletcher, who publish a magazine called- “The childless not by choice.”
Here is the link for the webinar- https://weareworthysummit.com
Here is the link for Fertility fest 2018- https://www.fertilityfest.com
Tina Reid-Peršin 