Project Statement

As humans, there is one inevitable thing . . . Death. We all experience the loss of someone at some point in our lives, some of us more than others. No matter who you are or how old you are, this is something no one can escape. We have all lost someone at one point in our lives whether it be a friend, a grandparent, a child, or a parent, it’s always someone we love dearly. Death can come slowly and sometimes may take years and other times it happens in the blink of an eye. During these times we even take the role and full responsibility of caring for our loved ones on their last days. However long it takes one thing is certain, for those of us that remain to remember them we tend to wish for one more day, one more memory, one more hello, or even another chance to hear their voice again.  Living While Dying is a series of photos that was started at the beginning of my start at the Academy of Art. This series showcases photos of what my mom who is in hospice, and the rest of us, her family go through every single day during these days. In this series I photograph my mom and my family as we make her final days as pleasant as possible as well as communicating all the emotions that come with these difficult days. Living While Dying is meant to express happiness, sadness, anger, frustration, and fears. The series captures the emotions that not only my mom is going through but all of us, her family, as we focus on staying strong for her and for each other. This series started as something personal but as I continued to capture every image it has become a way for others to reflect on their own lives and their loved ones and how quickly something tragic can happen and how quickly one can be robbed from those special moments.  I want to express that there are things far more important than jobs, possessions, and money… I want the viewer to see that sometimes we get so involved in these things that we forget to make that one phone call to mom or dad and how important this is for them and should as well be important to us because one day they will no longer be there and our opportunity to connect with them will be gone forever.