We have all heard the expression that actions speak louder than words. The observations we make of others are based upon their actions, which leave a lasting impression on us. It is these actions that I have chosen to capture in my concentration. The actions of the people who surround me are what make me remember who they truly are. These reoccurring actions are also what I constantly link to each individual. Whether it is distinguished or subtle, this action creates a sense of uniqueness and identity in each person. Actions are determined by one’s own personal interests along with their age, which go hand in hand when defining someone. As seen in image 1, a newborn baby grasps her mother’s finger. This is one demonstration as to how age has a large affect on an action; the child is at a stage in life where she relies on others to carry on.
Every image in my concentration focuses on the defining action of the person in the photo and the age they represent. The hands – the creators of the action – create the unity throughout the series. They are able to demonstrate how they are more important than the people they actually belong to. For this reason, I have kept the subject’s face as anonymous as possible. Perhaps this will cause the viewers to make their own connections to the action and even fill in someone close to them as the subject of the image.
While the action of the hand is the main contributor towards the subject’s personality, the hands themselves are capable of contributing just as much. As a grandfather is playing his rusted six-string guitar in image 11, the viewer is able to notice the wrinkled and dry hands that can produce an old familiar tune. Similarly, image 4 displays a teenage girl with unpolished fingernails as she grips her favorite worn out softball glove. These minor details in the hands of an individual reflect their personality just as much as the actions they carry out do. The photos in my concentration act as a visual memory for me of the people in my life as they demonstrate how actions along with age reflect who they truly are.
