Project Title: Donegal

Artist Statement:

It has been fifteen years since I’ve visited my grandmother's house in eastern Pennsylvania, named Donegal. The house shares the name with a town in Ireland, where my grandmother's ancestors are from. I remember being in awe of the rooms filled with untouchable luxuries and the lush backyard that stretched on for miles. At least, I think it was that big, and I think those items were expensive.

The relationship between my mother and her mother has wavered over the years. Its decline severed any likelihood that I could visit the massive house in Pennsylvania again. Knowing this at a young age, I clung onto these memories as the only proof that the place was real and not something from my childhood imagination. In recent months, my mother and grandmother have begun living together, reopening the opportunity to gain access to her home.

In the present day, I am wedged between my adolescent memories and the unfiltered realities of Donegal. From recreating several rooms of the house to shooting more surrealist images inspired by experiences I had as a child, I showcase my multi-media practice as an artist. I took on maternal roles in my various self portraits in an attempt to better understand my grandmother and mother, and how their experiences in the home affected their relationship. The whimsical imagery is paired with descriptive photographs of Donegal – taken when I was finally able to return this past November – and some pictures created by my grandmother several decades ago.

My project presents Donegal as a space lost within the cracks of time. The essence of the past is still trapped within its walls, while the clutter of the present has settled in every part of the house. These images hold space for a broad reflection of female familial relationships altered by loss, decay, and renewal in a house lost within an unspecified time period.

Bio:

Kyndel Whiteford is a multidisciplinary artist from New Jersey. She commonly uses self portraiture and still life scenes to discuss themes of gender, attraction, and consumption. Whiteford utilizes her strengths in painting and collage to transform her printed photographs into dynamic 3d art pieces. Her work has been published in Issue 5 of The Weasel and Harsh Collective’s zine titled “Like a Kid on Christmas.” She is currently working to earn her BFA in photography at Massachusetts College of Art & Design in Boston, MA

You see more here: https://www.kyndelwhiteford.com/ and @kynudigit on Instagra,