honorable mention
Rachel Nixon canadaPhoto © Rachel Nixon
title
"We Take Too Much From Mothers"
Following a fast-moving illness, my great-grandmother took her last breath aged only 56. Her husband - my great-grandfather - remarried just 10 months later, as was the way back then. With grief suppressed in the midst of war, Maggie Victoria was barely spoken of after that – her life inadvertently erased.
This composite is part of a personal project that uses family archive photos and my own contemporary imagery to honour Maggie Victoria’s legacy decades after she was forgotten.
In the analogue image by my great-grandfather Frank, Maggie Victoria appears as usual to be taking care of everyone, including her grown children and her husband, whose propped-up feet are seen bottom right. I set her apart in the collage to draw attention to her for once, and to foreshadow her imminent absence, along with some sunny yet dark flowers, an image I made in 2022.
For more about the project, titled "The Garden of Maggie Victoria", please visit: https://www.rachelnixon.com/work-in-progress
Having lived and worked across continents and cultures, Rachel explores issues such as a desire for connection with one’s heritage, and with the wider world and environment. In her practice, she also considers themes including secrecy, isolation and memory.
Inspired by the potential of natural forms to offer unexpected perspectives, Rachel employs strategies including abstraction, fragmentation and multiple exposure to bring these to the viewer’s attention. Throughout her work runs a deep appreciation for colour and structure.
In 2019, Rachel graduated with honours from the VanArts professional photography program in Vancouver. Since then, her work has been exhibited internationally and received a number of accolades, including two Julia Margaret Cameron Awards for abstract photography.
Before deciding to switch paths and commit full-time to visual art, Rachel had a successful 20-year career as a journalist and news executive in the UK, US and Canada for organizations including the BBC, CBC and Microsoft where she developed and ran digital news services that reached millions. Her passion for storytelling, love of innovation and experimentation, and drive for excellence now extend to her visual work.
Rachel holds a first class honours degree from the University of Oxford in Modern Languages and Literature, and is fluent in French and German. Her international experience brings with it a unique perspective on the questions of identity, place and belonging, and the connections we share despite our polarized times.
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entry description
"I am afraid my Dear that we take too much from mothers, take too much for granted and allow them to work too hard." An extract from a letter sent by "Uncle John" in Australia to my grandmother in England on learning of the tragic early death of her mother Maggie Victoria - his sister and my great-grandmother - in 1943.Following a fast-moving illness, my great-grandmother took her last breath aged only 56. Her husband - my great-grandfather - remarried just 10 months later, as was the way back then. With grief suppressed in the midst of war, Maggie Victoria was barely spoken of after that – her life inadvertently erased.
This composite is part of a personal project that uses family archive photos and my own contemporary imagery to honour Maggie Victoria’s legacy decades after she was forgotten.
In the analogue image by my great-grandfather Frank, Maggie Victoria appears as usual to be taking care of everyone, including her grown children and her husband, whose propped-up feet are seen bottom right. I set her apart in the collage to draw attention to her for once, and to foreshadow her imminent absence, along with some sunny yet dark flowers, an image I made in 2022.
For more about the project, titled "The Garden of Maggie Victoria", please visit: https://www.rachelnixon.com/work-in-progress
about the photographer
Rachel Nixon is a British-Canadian fine art photographer – and former journalist – based in Vancouver, Canada.Having lived and worked across continents and cultures, Rachel explores issues such as a desire for connection with one’s heritage, and with the wider world and environment. In her practice, she also considers themes including secrecy, isolation and memory.
Inspired by the potential of natural forms to offer unexpected perspectives, Rachel employs strategies including abstraction, fragmentation and multiple exposure to bring these to the viewer’s attention. Throughout her work runs a deep appreciation for colour and structure.
In 2019, Rachel graduated with honours from the VanArts professional photography program in Vancouver. Since then, her work has been exhibited internationally and received a number of accolades, including two Julia Margaret Cameron Awards for abstract photography.
Before deciding to switch paths and commit full-time to visual art, Rachel had a successful 20-year career as a journalist and news executive in the UK, US and Canada for organizations including the BBC, CBC and Microsoft where she developed and ran digital news services that reached millions. Her passion for storytelling, love of innovation and experimentation, and drive for excellence now extend to her visual work.
Rachel holds a first class honours degree from the University of Oxford in Modern Languages and Literature, and is fluent in French and German. Her international experience brings with it a unique perspective on the questions of identity, place and belonging, and the connections we share despite our polarized times.
back to gallery