works

Haley Sessoms

info // cv

My father holds me as a baby, as my mother records. My brother, with the same smile, still laughs when he gets his picture taken. While some of these moments become unattainable, they exist beautifully sealed beneath the blue. 

This print series stretches limitations of memory, lineage, and preservation, bringing to light the textures of the past and the shadows we once got lost in. Incorporating new alterations, the snapshots are now forever changed. Dilutions in chemistry prevent aged details from emerging. Taping edges allows for close crops, reframing the narratives. Hand-painted gouache sinks into the watercolor paper, inviting senses of wonder, presence, and joy. Each gesture marks the connection between touch and memory, bridging the gap between past and present. 

Beneath the Blue reveals images of youth, once stored away and forgotten. Removed from old photo albums, they exist now in multiple variations. These cyanotypes, bleached, or toned, re-introduce the past, affixed within the present day.