"Emily's images evoke a feeling of recognition, as though she has stepped into your parents' childhood living room and painted the scene."- Metromix Greenville (Greenville.metromix.com)
How often do we think about the fact that the people who raised us, who formed us and guided our steps, had a life before we existed? You think of your Grandmother only as your Grandmother, but do you ever consider that to someone else, she was a fun-loving friend, a daughter, sister, or wife. Since early in 2008, my work has focused on connecting to the people that my loved ones were, before I was part of the picture This study of my grandparents-the lives they led, the clothes they wore, the things they valued- has more recently led me to a deeper exploration of the specific era in which they lived: the music, the culture, the view of women. I typically laugh when I see images of women vacuuming in their pearls and heels, a hot dinner on the table, waiting for their husbands to come home from the office. But, at the same time, I feel a longing for the glamour and polish these women have, for the celebration of everything in them that is beautiful and feminine. I have only seen this world through Technicolor glasses and from the comfort of distance, but I find I want to get inside the color and the gloss and glamor of the period. I want to connect to it, whether through the clothes I wear, the music I listen to, or the images I create. My color palette is inspired by the Technicolor movie musicals of the 1940’s and 50’s. My images are inspired by family photographs, ads, movies, memorabilia- anything that creates for me the sense of glamor, femininity, innocence, and fun in this period of our American history.
How often do we think about the fact that the people who raised us, who formed us and guided our steps, had a life before we existed? You think of your Grandmother only as your Grandmother, but do you ever consider that to someone else, she was a fun-loving friend, a daughter, sister, or wife. Since early in 2008, my work has focused on connecting to the people that my loved ones were, before I was part of the picture This study of my grandparents-the lives they led, the clothes they wore, the things they valued- has more recently led me to a deeper exploration of the specific era in which they lived: the music, the culture, the view of women. I typically laugh when I see images of women vacuuming in their pearls and heels, a hot dinner on the table, waiting for their husbands to come home from the office. But, at the same time, I feel a longing for the glamour and polish these women have, for the celebration of everything in them that is beautiful and feminine. I have only seen this world through Technicolor glasses and from the comfort of distance, but I find I want to get inside the color and the gloss and glamor of the period. I want to connect to it, whether through the clothes I wear, the music I listen to, or the images I create. My color palette is inspired by the Technicolor movie musicals of the 1940’s and 50’s. My images are inspired by family photographs, ads, movies, memorabilia- anything that creates for me the sense of glamor, femininity, innocence, and fun in this period of our American history.
