Clarence Guienze Photography

“Family Matters”

Artist’s Statement by Clarence J. Guienze

This statement was written by the artist for an exhibition in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Some of the Family Matters pieces are featured in Finding Franklin.

Family Matters is an ongoing series of family portraits dating from 1971 to 2004. Except for a portrait of me at three years of age, taken in Franklin, Louisiana by an unknown, itinerant photographer, there are no early pictures of any family member from the thirties and early forties. It was this dearth of memories which inspired and continues to motivate me to memorialize my family in the seasons of their lives.

I was blessed to have acquired a Brownie camera at age eleven. It was the lens of this camera through which I captured the earliest family picture. Many cameras later, I am still photographing my family, a major focus of my artistic interests.

For those who view this exhibition, every picture represents a moment frozen in time. For me, each tells a particular story in space and time which evokes memories – sweet, sad, humorous. These memories are encapsulated in a smile, the pattern in a dress, the position of an arm, an attitude, the twinkle in an eye, or the mystery behind an expression.

I have always been drawn back to my birthplace where the mutual exchange of love and nurture replenishes my spirit and creative drive. You are invited to share my experience though this small retrospective of photographs, many of which were taken in Louisiana.

To the viewers of this exhibition, I would challenge you to tell your story. Have you memorialized the things, people or places that matter most to you?