In her exhibition Family, Ana Stanovnik Perčič deals with what we are all born into in one way or another and what probably most characterizes our lives in this world – family. The 11 photographs that can be viewed on the walls of the Kamnik Photo Club gallery represent only a small part of a vast archive that has been in the making for more than fifteen years, ever since the birth of her first daughter.
Through the photographs, the author presents herself on the one hand as a mother who opens us to the happy moments of her growing daughters, and on the other hand as a photographer who creates her own photographic memory through precise and thoughtful composition.
Of course, she is not the first to tackle the subject of photographic exploration of her own family, if she approaches it thoughtfully and with a great deal of sensitivity. Looking at Ana's photographs, we are reminded of Magnum photographer Larry Towell's series The World from My Front Porch, which also reflects a deep respect for everyday family moments. On the other end of the spectrum, perhaps, we could place the endless series of photos that parents upload to social media these days. Ana's work certainly ranks much closer to Towell's masterpieces than to the reckless display of family intimacy that we often witness online.
As the author says, the photographs show where they have the best time: in nature, at sea and in the forest. She therefore focuses on what is most beautiful and what is most worth preserving in memory (and in a personal family album). They record what transcends time. “I look at it as a treasure,” says Ana. And she is now sharing a piece of this treasure with us.
Text author: Aleš Senožetnik