Tessa King

Fifty-Six Years With Tony

My grandfather passed away in June.
The loss was sudden and very unexpected.
I have since been using photography as a methodology to come to terms with the grief that I am experiencing towards my grandad’s absence.

This ongoing project explores the interactions shared between myself and family members since his death and particularly focuses on the shifts in dynamics around my grandmother. Without her husband, her identity has evolved drastically as she is now suddenly aware of her need to become more independent. The decision to use archival material alongside current work illustrates this development from a companionship within a hectic, family dynamic to a more solitary existence as a widow.

Documenting my grandfather’s absence through metaphorical visualisations intends to capture a closeness, yet new profound distance, regarding what is no longer here.