Elin Karlsson
Prologue
For the series Prologue I visited places that are tightly linked with memories of an early experience that shaped my expectations of intimacy. This cathartic series explores the locations and testifies to the significance of the act of photographing in order to make events actual and real rather than just accessible through something as fragile and unreliable as human memory.
Within my practice I often work with the investigation of issues around childhood trauma and family dynamics, using a range of different genres of photography to illustrate scenarios and situations familiar to most of us. My picture-making addresses my own life, and my photographic practice revolves around remembered, autobiographical narratives, often flirting with a sense of trauma and failure found at the very heart of family life.
The current work investigates gender ideals and explores expectations of the future that are often formed at an early age, while simultaneously asking questions about how the photograph can create a sense of belonging and a sense of origin. Performance plays a central role in some of the work as I act out different fantasy scenarios and explore the politics and conflicted dynamics of family life.