Artist statement: Each year, during the Christmas holidays, I make a portrait of my children. This year, my son Charlie suddenly decided to lop off his very long and wild surfer hair. The stark contrast of his now shaved head revealed the face of a young and serious man, intent on facing the world and the challenges of life ahead. It felt a little shocking to realise that my son was no longer a boy. I was filled with contradictory emotions of grief, loss and ageing but also of pride, curiosity and immense love. We rarely talk deeply about this transition or the cascade of parental emotions when our kids leave home. ‘Empty nest’ syndrome tries, but is so over used it has been emptied of meaning, and doesn’t muster the intensity of feelings. Perhaps this small collection of portraits made over many years, is my way of letting go.
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Also known as Giclee prints or bubble-jet prints, pigment ink-jet prints are generated by computer printers from digital or scanned files using dye-based or pigment-based inks. A series of nozzles spray tiny droplets of ink onto the paper surface in a precise pattern that corresponds to the digital image file. In dye-based prints the ink soaks into the paper, whereas in pigment-based prints the ink rests and dries on top of the paper surface.
Whilst the term is broad, pigment ink-jet prints have come to be associated with prints produced on fine art papers. They are the most versatile and archival method of printing available to photographers today. A wide variety of material on which an image can be printed with such inks are available, including various textures and finishes such as matte photo paper, watercolour paper, cotton canvas or pre-coated canvas.
