viz.

Nico in 1990 and 2010, France; Irina Werning

This week, I want to draw attention to Irene Werning's Back to the Future project (website probably not safe for work; there is a small amount of nudity), in which the artist meticulously reconstructs images from her subjects' pasts. The results are always impressive, often funny, and sometimes touching in their illustration of how much and how little changes with the passage of time.

Lali in 1978 and 2010, Buenos Aires

In most cases, the images are recreated more or less exactly. Subjects wear identical clothing and mimic their earlier facial expressions. The small differences in the images then become especialy interesting. In the image above, Lali's outfit is noticeably different (a solid dress, heeled shoes) and the building she poses in has been updated. While the building's changes were outside of the photographer's control,  I wonder about the wardrobe differences. While the shoes show the shift to adulthood, I am not sure what to make of the brown dress. There are smaller wardrobe differences in other images; perhaps they draw attention to the image as performance, creating a deliberate gap in the illusion that reminds viewers of the gap between the past and present.  

Marita and Coty in 1977 and 2010, Buenos Aires

The images are often hilarious. The playfulness of performing your childhood self shows in the images, particularly those like the image above in which the subject has to replicate his/her expression as a baby. The incongruity of an adult with a baby-faced wonder seems silly, even though it seems like it would be depressing because the loss of innocence is at the core of what makes the disjuncture amusing. While these images can be poignant for a variety of reasons, they also seem to deal in a light-hearted manner with the departure of the past. The replication of the past (and the often uncanny resemblance between child and adult subjects) indicates that it isn't really gone, but things are different, and sometimes in an amusing way.

Damian in 1989 and 2010, London

If you go to Werning's website to see more of these images, I would also recommend her other projects. Her website shows interesting variety, including a series of photos featuring a Chinese crested dog named Chini in different costumes and a collection of photos called "After Army" that features images from a beach frequented by young people who have just completed their tour of duty with the Israeli army.