“She Never Asked about My Daughters,” Portraits on Estrangement, Silver Gelatin, 20"x24", 2020
“Don’t Ever Pray for Me Again,” Portraits on Estrangement, Silver Gelatin, 20"x24", 2020
“Portraits on Estrangement” looks at adult parental estrangement through analog portraiture. The series of 12-black and white portraits considers longing and loss in human relationships, and how we move forward when things fall apart. At each portrait session Smith talked with the sitter about their experience, making only eight 4x5 negatives during each session. This restraint, along with the unmediated space offered by the large format camera, facilitated a deep connection between Smith and her participants. Short phrases were chosen for titles over more complete narratives in part to prevent a clinical dissection of the sitters. This invites the viewer to connect with the portraits from their own longings and losses, and move towards empathy — the ability to be with another. The intuitive nature of Smith’s work is seen in her ability to find the critical point to release the shutter in each conversation.
“The Older I Get the More I Look Like Her,” Portraits on Estrangement, Silver Gelatin, 20"x24", 2020
“She’s the Best Mother She Knows How to Be,” Portraits on Estrangement, Silver Gelatin, 20"x24", 2020
“I Thought We had Plenty of Time,” Portraits on Estrangement, Silver Gelatin, 20"x24", 2020
“I Love You,” Portraits on Estrangement,
Estrangement, Silver Gelatin, 20"x24", 2020
“I Felt Foreign in My Own Family,” Portraits on
Estrangement, Silver Gelatin, 20"x24", 2020
“If I Don’t Speak with Her again I’m Okay with
It,” Portraits on Estrangement, Silver Gelatin, 20"x24", 2020
“I Can’t Fix Your Problems Anymore,” Portraits on
Estrangement, Silver Gelatin, 20"x24", 2020
“She Wants Someone that Never Existed," Portraits on
Estrangement, Silver Gelatin, 20"x24", 2020
“[I’m] Walking on Eggshells All the Time,” Portraits on
Estrangement, Silver Gelatin, 20"x24", 2020
"Hating Him was Just Me Wanting a Relationship with Him," Portraits on
Estrangement, Silver Gelatin, 20"x24", 2020
"Together," Portraits on
Estrangement, Silver Gelatin, 20"x24", 2020
Installation view, Duke Gallery 2020
