Reconstructing Memory Through Found Photographs
NYC Book Launch Event Taking Place on February 11th
In All of Them, the first photo book from New York City-based documentary photographer Erika Morillo, the author explores an important desire that has accompanied her throughout her life: reconstructing the memory of her father. After stumbling upon a box of old abandoned photographs for sale in New York City, Morillo saw in these images an opportunity to reconstruct the very few memories she has of her father, who disappeared almost thirty years ago while hiking in the woods in Dominican Republic.
In her photo book, Morillo interweaves found photographs with her own family photos, revealing an intimate family portrait, which is narrated as a conversation with her father. Her story takes us to the nucleus of a family scarred by violence and loss, but also characterized by strong attachments and a profound longing. All of Them is a mysterious reverie laden with questions, where real and imagined memories coexist, blurring the lines between fiction and reality. This book is a true reflection of the intentions behind Morillo’s documentary work, which utilizes photography as a tool to preserve memory and gain a deeper understanding of her family dynamics.
For me, revisiting my family history and the story of my parents is a way of making sense of my life as a mother today.
While All of Them is an autobiographical work, the found photographs that interlace the narrative of the book allude to the power of photography to tell stories that are emotionally universal. “These images helped me to recall certain emotions, that despite arising from photos of complete strangers in strange places, were more reliable than the information I had clumsily collected throughout the years”, said Morillo, who has also documented life with her son in her project Umbral.
All of Them will be launched on Saturday, February 11th, from 5-8pm in an event at The Storefront Project gallery in New York’s Lower East Side. Copies of the book will be on sale alongside an exhibition that features some of the photos and writings from the book and multimedia installations that will be on display throughout the weekend.
Erika Morillo was born and raised in Dominican Republic and has been working as a freelance professional in New York City for over a decade. Morillo’s documentary photography work focuses on the issues of family, inner city life and the finding of identity. Her work has been exhibited and published in Dominican Republic, Chile and New York City. She lives in Manhattan with her son Amaru.
For more information on the upcoming book launch, please contact:
Erika Morillo
https://www.erikamorillo.com/
The Storefront Project
http://www.storefrontproject.com/
