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THE FAMILY CHRISTMAS CARD...

This project explores themes of relationship, family, and identity through the medium of photography. After analyzing the words of Sandbye, Barthes, and Azoulay I considered my own connection to and perception of photography, which is through my family and the collections of photographs that have curated a part of our identity. The family Christmas card is one of the many outlets that collaboration has in photographic production, circulation, and consumption. The emotional and affective qualities of a family Christmas card are phenomena that are overlooked in photography studies. It creates a visual conversation that pre-dates social media yet holds similar qualities and mass reach. The family Christmas card extended the photographer-subject relationship to the middle-class family while encouraging collaboration between roles. Like the family photo album, this type of media is an interesting area for study considering it holds each family’s idealized version of themselves. The visuals are not just representative of a family, but a perfected version of a family and their world, creating an empowering and controlled narrative. The aesthetic relations in a family Christmas card are riddled with romanticized backdrops, props, and poses that are satirical in nature, yet the principles reflect much of what we now see daily through social media.

This specific collection of Christmas cards is certainly atypical. Instead of the perfect holiday aesthetic, the focus is more cultural, intellectual, and based on activity. One can interpret what the intended portrayal is for the family. Furthermore, each photograph had a story behind it. The painting shot was from when they returned from Germany and had to repaint the house. The lumberjack shot was when they had to take down an enormous willow tree in the backyard. The traditional Ukrainian shot is from when they returned to Ukraine for the holidays to visit family. Each image tells a story and in essence, provides a family update. This is the core purpose of a family Christmas card and when analyzed, offers immense insight into a family and their view.