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The photographic image is a fitting medium through which to reflect on what once lived. The past is inherently suspended, stilled, and silenced in any photograph, leaving the viewer to contemplate what once was. In the words of Harry Carroll, “photography takes the life out of living subjects and renders them into ‘corpses’.” These photographs serve as permanent relics, embodying ritualistic observances related to personal loss.

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Inhabiting a visually austere environment, an isolated and anonymous figure engages in reserved and symbolic acts of bereavement. These performances draw inspiration from various traditional cultural and religious mourning practices, as well as personal reflections on loss, memory, and the passage of time.

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Contemporary society—particularly within Western cultures—struggles with how to negotiate and process grief.

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Contemporary society—particularly within Western cultures—struggles with how to negotiate and process grief. Presenting this subject in a public setting asks the audience to reflect upon, and respond to personal and communal loss to find solace.

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About

Tracy Longley-Cook holds a BFA and MFA in Photography from the University of Washington (1997) and Arizona State University (2007). She also studied at the Maine Photographic Workshops residency programme from 1994 to 1995. Currently, she is an Associate Professor of Photography at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Themes of transformation, memory, and perception strongly influence her interests as a visual artist, educator, and curator. Through the use of both experimental and traditional techniques, Tracy incorporates a wide range of working methods into her photography, prints, and books.

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