Nonni & Pop

Professional/Serious Amateur or Student?
Professional/Serious Amateur

Photograph Description
This image is part of a series titled, "Nonni". "Nonni" is an investigation of the home my grandparents have lived in for over 40 years. Their relationship started as an arranged marriage when they both came to America, and they have been married for 55 years. My childhood was spent at their house. I remember the rituals of Friday night sleepovers, Saturday morning muffins for breakfast, and the Sunday dinners. To me, their home appears to be the same as I remember it as a child. The furniture in rooms are just as clean as they were last, the wine cellar is packed with bottles of wine fermenting, and the VHS tapes are still in use. This past summer my grandfather became ill. While the house looks unchanged, everything is different. I am discovering a new dynamic within their household. My grandmother’s role has now changed from being a caretaker of their house to a caregiver to her husband. The regularity of their everyday life has fundamentally been altered, forever. The burdens and costs of declining health for the elderly is something all families will experience.
Photographs are containers of memories. I have photographed their home to preserve a way of life that defined my childhood. I use a square format film camera because it slows down the image making process. I work slowly, framing compositions that are typically overlooked during everyday life. The square crop is reflective of how organized and polished their home is.

Photograph Place
Trumbull, CT

Photograph Date
2019