In Home, December 2023, The Front Gallery, New Orleans.
Artist Lauren Barron (aka Shivers), archivist Cas O'Brian, curator Dani.
Artist Lauren Barron (aka Shivers), archivist Cas O'Brian, curator Dani.
The two New Orleans natives weave together footage from a family attic (in Shivers case) along with found footage (in Cas’s case) to bring to an audience a reflective experience. One that encourages confrontation of the missed connections between generations, chosen family, and how we relate to one another.
Ermina snapping a photo, Shivers
grid wall, Shivers
In Home is a collection of 8mm films shot by my beloved and missed Great great Aunt and Great great Uncle, documenting their lives as New Orleanians and their travels, 1960-1970's.
Additionally, found footage of queer Mardi Gras life in New Orleans between the 60's and 70's is featured and installed by Cas O'Brian.
Room one features a living room set for home movie viewing nostalgia - sofa, coffee table, my family photo album, lamp and television with vcr are playing my personal home movies 1986-1990s. A side wall is set up with two reel to reels playing Cas's found 8mm films.
The second room projects a full wall of my digitized 8mm family videos mapped into a grid, and another full wall projecting my selected mix of memories, full screen no grid.
The grid wall felt like dreams that you cant quiet remember but exist as one amalgamated cloud of moments. The second wall is you landed on a memory and you are able now to focus on that time.
VHS home movie's, Shivers
layout walk through
room two opening night visitors
My Uncle Charlie was the captain of merchant mariner vessel, and the first American ship to sail into Japan's waters after the Atomic Bomb. Here he is accepting a gift from Japanese government officials. I have the letter of authentication for this doll and personal letter gifting it to Charlie. Charlie was a immigrant from Sweden, the man who filmed this interaction was my Grandpaw John. John invited Charlie to stay in our home while they had stopped at a New Orleans port. This is when Charlie met my Great great Aunt Ermina, they fell in love and got married. He moved to New Orleans, similar to his home in Sweden on the waterways.
Watching each small film square float by the digitizer's tiny screen, click, next, click, next...that process required an attention to each frame so as to not harm these delicate wisp's of memories. We were together again, on that sofa, her voice playing over the speakers.