About

Toledano was born in 1968 in London, to a French Moroccan mother and an American father. He grew up in London and Casablanca. He received a BA in English literature from Tufts University in Boston.

Toledano considers himself a conceptual artist, believing that everything starts with an idea, and the idea determines the execution. Consequently, his work varies in medium, ranging from photography to installation, sculpture, painting and video.

Book reference

Toledano created the book ‘when I was six’ as a way to honor and remember his sister, Claudia, who passed away in an accident when he was just six years old. After his parents passing, Toledano discovers boxes of Claudia’s belongings that were kept by his parents and so the book is his way of getting to know, not only his sister but his parents relationship with her as well as showcasing some memories he had from the time.

In my opinion, creating a book such as this must take a lot of strength, since exploring something so painful would be difficult for almost anyone. The way Toledano showcases his sisters belongings in the book is symbolic in a way. His use of lighting is done in such a way that it depicts the knowledge he gains of his sister, information that was hidden away finally coming to light after all these years.

Why I chose him

I chose Toledano as one of my artist references due to his link to memory, much like the reason I selected Sternfeld. I also think Toledano’s use of lighting would be a useful technique to replicate in my personal study, since to me it represents something coming to light by just having a small section, or box, brighter than the rest.

Another approach I would like to try and replicate is with some objects, he makes them appear almost dream like or foggy in a way. I think this would be very interesting to do when I showcase something I don’t remember too well, such as an object or a landscape as it would represent how it’s not a clear memory.

Image analysis

Within this image, we are able to see a dress which seems to be preserved due to the well kept condition it’s in. This tells the viewer that the dress has not been touched in a long time, creating a sense of sadness when looking at the photo.

We are also able to see the lighting in this image, with the majority of the photo cast in a shadow except for one square. This square of light could symbolize the lid of the box being taken off, revealing the dress as well as memories of his sister. The dress is also off center, however, this means that our eyes are drawn to the light overlapping giving off a slightly more positive outlook, maybe suggesting that Toledano is feeling more at peace with his sisters passing.

Lastly, the colouring of the image is important. Majority of the tones in the image are cool, creating a calm outlook for the viewer, once again potentially linking to peace.