How does Phillip Toledano explore notions of change, fate and Absence in his work?

“One body, One soul, One density”

Photographs can be seen as the story-telling companions of time, they direct the gaze of the spectator to look at the past, allowing us to reflect on our own lives and the lives of others. Photographs allow the ability to communicate and capture small moments in time when particular emotions are felt. It is this that I tap into in my personal study as I explore the change, reflecting on the past and the present of my Granddad’s life after a tragic event, which has changed his life forever. I have looked at and been inspired by the work of Phillip Toledano, a male photographer who is probably best known for his work dedicated to his father’s final chapter. In this essay, I will be focusing on the ways that Toledano explores change, fate and absence in his work, particularly focusing on his project entitled ‘Days with my Father.’  I will also be creating links to my own personal study, which also investigates and reflects upon the fate, absence and specifically change within my Granddad’s life. Having looked at archival photographs they allowed me to discuss memories of his life, which I have used to inform my current photographs with the purpose of expressing the change and absences. I am aiming to explore the similar styles of photography within this style of work by Phillip Toledano and cross-reference the work of Laia Abril; looking into which artist I believe represents the concept of Absence and change in the best way by investigating their style and what informed their projects.  The style of work I have focused on is Documentary and narrative photography due to the style of photographs I am taking in my own project and that of which, Phillip Toledano and Laia Abril work also fit into. My own images will follow the style of documentary photography to give a realistic insight into my Granddad’s life. Straight Photography, which is closely related to realism is the historical background of this style, which will inform my analysis and own images. It believes in the camera’s ability to record objectively the actual world as it appears in front of the lens was unquestioned. This veracity of the photographs has been challenged by critics, claiming that the photographer’s subjectivity challenges this idea opening up many new possibilities for both interpretation and manipulation. Photography is a medium that possesses the precious ability to influence and transcend past, present and future, we are capable of documenting the present, easily comparing the past and predicting the future. With the conclusions drawn from this analysis, I can hopefully proceed to evaluate whether my work has accurately portrayed issues of change and fate shown through photography.