‘I’m interested in the triangulation between us; the changing proximity and distance we share, and the peculiar feeling of looking in on a world to which I don’t fully belong. Over the years, the dynamic between them—and us—has ebbed and flowed. Sometimes they were close, and at other times they were further removed from one another. They have both dealt with the hardship of loss and its many painful consequences. My images of Jonathan throughout his youth, whether alone or with our father, chronicle these shifts and turns. With each photographic session, I attempt to get closer to him, to establish connection, to understand his inner world; at times, the resistance I’m met with only fuels my intrigue to know more. The project is as much about me and my family as it is about their separate universe.’
Having grown up as an only child fantasising about having a sibling, when Jonathan did arrive Herman was already an adult. Making portraits was one of the few ways she felt she could connect with Jonathan. The ritual of photographing her half-brother, often alongside their father, began when Jonathan was just four years old and allowed Herman ways to consider the potential meanings of family intimacy. Sometimes Jonathan was photographed with his father Julian, recording the shifting dynamics between father and son, and sometimes he was photographed alone. Jonathan would usually agree to be photographed, sometimes even taking pride in the project and at other times his resistance is evident.
Beyond traces of the photographer, the only other female figure who features in the project is Herman’s grandmother, depicted at the end of her life at the opening of the book. These images represent another generation in her family history, and so the book begins with the closing of one chapter and the opening of another.
Most of the photographs were made using a medium format film camera and this shaped the interactions between Herman and her family. Jonathan and Julian would need to be as motionless as possible which led inevitably to introspection. For her part, Herman would need to slow down and concentrate to make the images due to the considerable cost of film. Her aim was to make the photographs calm, soft and subtle with a deliberate natural colour palatte. To achive this she would remove distracting elements, or anything superflouous from the frame whilst trying to achieve a balance between staging and embracing the environment as found—a dance between fact and fiction.
‘It’s as if they are photographed in a separate universe that runs parallel to the many demands of ‘ordinary’ life. In this tranquil space, I’m able to capture a sense of stillness, silence and proximity in my images. I’m interested in what might arise between the sitter and I, as well as how the dynamic unfolds between those being portrayed. I don’t tend to see my works as reflections of reality, but rather as captured moments of intimacy. These moments were created through a collaborative process that depends heavily on the trust between the different parties involved.’
