IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE
My recent visit to Melbourne for Father’s Day was to catch up with my parents. Especially so with my father who is suffering enormously from prostate cancer and complications from skin cancer surgery. He is 88 years old, and has been under treatment for nearly three years now. Of course a recent bout with Covid by both my parents has not helped matters, and my father is back in hospital right now.
During that time I was reading about the work of American photographer Stephen Shore who describes how he tries to, “take photographs that feel like the way we see”.
“Stephen Shore: Taking photographs that feel like seeing” www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5xAxqbtz9o
So over coming days I will present a photo essay which tells something of what my parents are going through at the moment. This will mean putting their predicament into a social and domestic context, which although very comfortable in a material sense, is placing before them existential questions of significance.
They are both people of profound faith who have served God all their lives, and yet they find their end to be filled with pain and suffering – physical, emotional and spiritual. Prayer is an important component of their lives, and yet never before have their prayers seemed so powerless.
* You will need to follow these images in reverse order from this title page.
[I realise that the Flickr format is not conducive to such a photo essay, and I know that many people will not be bothered following the story. But I genuinely want to thank those of you who do and have expressed your concerns over recent times. I very much appreciate it.]
IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE
My recent visit to Melbourne for Father’s Day was to catch up with my parents. Especially so with my father who is suffering enormously from prostate cancer and complications from skin cancer surgery. He is 88 years old, and has been under treatment for nearly three years now. Of course a recent bout with Covid by both my parents has not helped matters, and my father is back in hospital right now.
During that time I was reading about the work of American photographer Stephen Shore who describes how he tries to, “take photographs that feel like the way we see”.
“Stephen Shore: Taking photographs that feel like seeing” www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5xAxqbtz9o
So over coming days I will present a photo essay which tells something of what my parents are going through at the moment. This will mean putting their predicament into a social and domestic context, which although very comfortable in a material sense, is placing before them existential questions of significance.
They are both people of profound faith who have served God all their lives, and yet they find their end to be filled with pain and suffering – physical, emotional and spiritual. Prayer is an important component of their lives, and yet never before have their prayers seemed so powerless.
* You will need to follow these images in reverse order from this title page.
[I realise that the Flickr format is not conducive to such a photo essay, and I know that many people will not be bothered following the story. But I genuinely want to thank those of you who do and have expressed your concerns over recent times. I very much appreciate it.]