Whole 2012-2016
My father and me worked in a lumberyard. We laid down a huge poplar on the field, and we chopped it up. It fell apart afore our eyes. My sister’s son was four years old when his father died. Every faces of my family expressed the fear of something absent. All of us felt the lonelyness, but there was a close bond between us. The wood in pieces seemed like the tragedy of my family.It fell apart like us. The whole never will be entire.
My series, Whole, originates from my family’s grief. My nephew’s father passed away at a young age, thus leaving the five-year-old boy to his mother alone. My pictures tell the story of a family mourning struck by this tragedy.
© Laszlo Gabor Belicza
© Laszlo Gabor Belicza
© Laszlo Gabor Belicza
Changes of emotions are, what can outline each individual’s common, yet particular life story. My main character is a boy, his name is Gergő and I portray his progression sometimes faded, sometimes well accented in order to show completeness in the imagery. Basically, documenting in a subject way is the tone for the series. There are no perfectly predestined situations. This let’s me explore the hierarchy between relatives. Sceneries become backgrounds as for the eternal lack of emotion, besides intimate places discovering trust and privacy.
Not only a person was buried then, but the possibility of dealing with this loss together, as well. It is a difficult mission to form picture of the tragedy, so what is right in front of us stays hidden somehow.
The reason of distancing is on one hand because of this dramaturge, on the other hand because of the perks of being a child. A young person does not perfectly understand what death is, he pictures something lyrical – his point of view becomes mine.
Through the family’s surroundings and its method of work we can have a peek at this boy’s future, not only his past and present. Constant farewell and the act of moving on is reflected in human existence.
all images and text © Laszlo Gabor Belicza