Three years ago I found an entire album of old family photographs thrown out with the trash near Fillmore Avenue. Another lucky discovery was a stack of old door panels at Buffalo ReUse. These materials pushed me into an entire series of collages – discarded ancestors combined with recent photos of buildings around the east side of Buffalo. The wood from the door panels had its own story to tell through layers of paint down to the original surface.  Putting all the elements together expressed the long passage of time.

Here’s one of my favorite mother/daughter photos from the series. I enjoy reading into it through my own history. The little girl is distracted and not quite cooperating but Mom will make sure she stands still!

Our memories of our mothers can combine such a huge range of emotions and experiences. Thank you to all past, present and future mothers!