Month: October 2018

Ali Mobasser

Ali Mobasser was interested in the resemblance between his own and his mothers’ own ID photos, and how these, matched with other characteristics such as a fingerprint, results in a representation of ones identity. This is relevant to my own project due to the sense of identity and nostalgia held within these photos – I would like to explore other peoples’ own relationships with their or someone close to them ID photos, particularly when they’re used as a sentimental object.

 

Photo source: https://www.ft.com/content/6c455e1c-f018-11e7-ac08-07c3086a2625

Copyright: Ali Mobasser

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Initial ideas – Sense of Place

The words ‘sense of place’ can varying meanings for different people. It can be a geographic location, a feeling or even a person or object. What I would like to explore is the idea of momentos and how these can help people that may not be with their family/friends/significant other feels that they have a sense of place; specifically passport portraits that are commonly kept in wallets and purses. This idea came from being stuck on the checkouts in a supermarket for hours at a time – often when people flip their wallets open, I get a glimpse of someone’s husband, wife, mother, daughter or loved one. This viewing feels almost secret as if I am seeing something I shouldn’t be, and for a brief moment, I get a personal insight into someone’s life.

This then leads to a series of thoughts about why people keep photos of their loved ones in their wallets, and it is often because they have lost a loved one, they are far away, or they cannot see them as often as they wish; meaning that to them, a photo or memorable object gives one a feeling of reassurance, or, a sense of place.

Personally, in my own wallet, I carry a passport photo of my boyfriend and a photo of us both, taken in the winter of 2017 by a close friend. When I look at these photos, it reminds me of the quiet and coldness of home and makes me feel nostalgic towards this period of my life. So, I am interested in how other peoples’ keepsakes make them feel, why they’ve chosen such an object to carry around with them and what the object means to them.