In this work, I wanted to highlight themes of nostalgia and memory. I’ve taken some personal items from my own childhood and photographed them up-close in the studio. I chose particularly colorful items, and placed them in colorful lighting. The colors either enhance each other or give a certain feeling to the object being photographed. Often times memories are portrayed in a black-and-white or sepia tone to indicate that they happened in the past. However, childhood is full of color–many things that are meant for children are bright and colorful and our memories of such times can be colorful in their clarity as we experience many aspects of life for the first time, and enjoy a carefree lifestyle.

I also included an image of a 30th birthday balloon to represent the present day. This image has no added colored lighting effects, giving it a kind of sterile environment compared to the previous images, but is itself rather colorful and celebratory. Is the passage of time and aging something to be celebrated or lamented? I wanted to leave that up to the viewer. I also presented the image last so that the viewer could reflect on that question and their own journey from childhood to the present. The balloon is also a personal object, from my own birthday this past September.

Although the objects are personal items, they may also speak to a universal experience of childhood. Music, video games, accessories, coloring books, playing dress-up… In this way, the photos are both deeply personal but also relatable.

Although not a photographer, Jeff Koons’ work has similar themes to those I am interested in working with. A lot of his work is playful, colorful, and directly features aspects of childhood. His series of Balloon Dogs not only evokes this sense of childhood and nostalgia, each of the five sculptures come in a different color: Blue, Red, Magenta, Orange, and Yellow.

Jeff Koons, Balloon Dog, 1994-2000, stainless steel

Koons takes objects associated with childhood and turns them into large-scale, colorful sculptures that radiate positive energy. His work is often featured in museums as well as in public places that are accessible by a large audience, such as Rockefeller Center.

Jeff Koons, Play-Doh, 1994-2014, aluminum

Koons has been influencing the art world since the 80’s and has had major exhibitions in the Whitney Museum and the Guggenheim Bilbao.