" A
true and well-regulated affection should be born and increase with
the knowledge children give us of themselves; and then, if they
are worthy of it, the natural propensity going along with reason, we should
cherish them with a truly paternal love; and we should likewise
pass judgment on them if they are otherwise, always submitting to reason,
notwithstanding the force of nature. It is very often the reverse;
and most commonly we feel more excited over the stamping, the games,
and the infantile tricks of our children than we do later over their
grown up actions, as if we had loved them for our pastime, like
monkeys, not like men. And some supply toys very liberally for their childhood,
who tighten up at the slightest expenditure they need when they
are
of age. Indeed it seems that the jealousy we feel at seeing them
appear in the world and enjoy it when we are about to leave it makes us more
stingy and tight with them; it vexes us that they are treading on
our heels, as if to solicit us to leave. And if we had that to fear,
then since in the nature of things they cannot in truth either be
or live except at the expense of our being and our life, we should
not have meddled with being fathers."
-Montaigne
When my daughter Alison was born, in the tradition of a new parent, I began
to photograph her, initially in a separate and private body of work. However,
in the process of documenting Alison's growth, I developed a passionate
interest in human relationships and capturing intimate moments in the lives
of family and friends. This affected my photography in a profound way. Rather
than the isolated subjects of my earlier work, I became interested in the
strength of relationships, oftentimes using personal environments to amplify
those conditions.
My photographs of Alison, because of the nature of our relationship, are
very much a father-daughter collaboration-Alison permitting me access to
private moments of our life, which might, under different circumstances,
be off-limits to a parent. The camera, early in her life, became part of
our relationship, necessitating in me an acceptance, a quietness. We've
never had long photographic sessions, but rather moments alone or with friends.
The significance of these pictures emerges in retrospect. I realize as I look at them, that I created a visual life story of Alison, capturing moments in her metamorphosis from infant to woman-her relationships with friends, her rebellion, and underlying it all, her relationship with me, a constant throughout her life. I wanted to photograph her in all her extremes, and to be part of these times in her life without judging or censoring. Only in this way would I have a true portrait of Alison.
© 1975-2008 Jack Radcliffe. All Rights Reserved
