THIS IS FAREWELL
THIS IS FAREWELL
CREDITS
Erik Gustafsson’s (b. 1987, Sweden) This is Farewell is a self-exploratory journey through the past, an autobiographical narrative which aims to deconstruct family bonds and understand how our origins affect how we develop as humans. By returning to his place of birth, Gustafsson tried to capture the moments that define the parent-child relationship, combining portraits of his loved ones with lush Scandinavian landscapes that evoke the burning clashes of trust and betrayal, of love and rage.
Pictures of framed photographs inside the home create stories within the story, forming a visual family tree that verifies and redefines the photographer’s own existence in relation to his familial connections. The images in This is Farewell reflect Gustafsson’s view and perspective on these relationships. The project was inspired by the discovery of old videotapes that pushed the photographer to rethink about the idea of a parental gaze shaping the child’s character. The personal here becomes public, the private is displayed to the world and the lines between one’s individual background and the history of his surroundings become blurred.
