Imani Austin-edwards
Fragmented recollections for mary jane
Fragmented Recollections For Mary Jane is a collection of twelve images shot on film the day of my grandmother’s surprise 90th birthday party. Drawing on the practice of photo documentation and my continued exploration of documenting grief, I captured temporary moments extending them into perpetuity. I photographed this project using a point and shoot Fuji 1000 Zoom. Accessibility is always my first consideration when shooting, I also feel the point and shoot camera furthers the familiar, intimate nature of the setting.
As a disabled person, grieving while living is a daily struggle. The body, mind, and memory are ephemeral. One day I can walk without issue, but the next I might need a walking boot or cane because my body has forgotten how to support itself. My photographs consider these ever-shifting states of instability by turning fleeting, temporary moments into tangible, lasting, proof of existence. I draw inspiration from my lived reality as I turn my lens towards my grandmother with Fragmented Recollections For Mary Jane. My grandmother, who lives with dementia, also exists within fluctuating states of memory and presence. It was extremely important to document her 90th birthday as she continues to transition. While it is difficult to witness parts of her deteriorate, it continues to be difficult to see parts of her deteriorate, these moments paused in time remind me of the beauty in the fragility of recollection and ability.
Witnessing her go in and out of awareness and her quiet moments in between answering repeated questions, I became emotional considering how she may not remember us gathering Witnessing her go in and out of awareness and her quiet moments in between answering repeated questions, I became emotional considering how she may not remember us gathering on this milestone birthday. I started by capturing her, her surroundings, and her family, documenting the occasion for her. Then, halfway through the roll, after I reminded her who was in the photos from her house on the covered piano, I attempted to capture her literal and figurative perspective. My compositions included the back of her head when she was attempting to connect with something from the past and hands in moments she was grounded in the present. Images in Fragmented Recollections For Mary Jane show her investigating frames with images she'd placed, watching her daughters give speeches, and beaming with joyful tears as friends, family, and church members celebrated her.
Fragmented Recollections For Mary Jane stretches these memories with my grandmother to exist outside the confines of a singular moment. Because the image was made, the moment is eternal.
The photo of the woman in the garden was my inspiration. She has the authority of a matriarchal figure and she displays squash from her garden. The squash is freshly picked in the photo, but has surely long since been eaten or died. It made me question the longevity of the matriarch and all that she tills and whether her seeds will be passed down if she cannot connect to her roots.
Issue 13: recollection is pamplemousse’s first ever submission-based issue. Inspired by found vernacular photographs and the act of collecting them, this issue explores themes of memory, family, identity, and personal history. This issue invites the reader to consider the history of photography as a whole, its role in the everyday life of the “amateur,” its use as a tool for creating “fine art,” and where those lines blur. Pamplemousse provided a collection of “found” images for artists to respond to.
Imani Austin-Edwards (b. 1997) is a visual artist born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia whose practice includes photography, painting, and mixed media collage. With eighteen years of training in dance, her creative trajectory transformed at the onset of a disability, redirecting her expression from movement to visually based; a testament to her unwavering resilience and curiosity. Imani earned her bachelor's degree from Georgia State University in Arts Administration, Photography concentration. Her work has been featured in group exhibitions at Echo Contemporary Gallery in partnership with Artist Forum, Ernest G. Welch Gallery in partnership with The Hand Magazine, and Mint Gallery juried by Jamaal Barber.
Imani's artistry foregrounds the complex and rich narratives of southern, Black, femme, and disabled life. Weaving personal testimony and broader histories, she constructs images that strive to create an empathetic, dynamic dialogue, stemming from the vulnerability, honesty, and beauty found within her visual inquiries.