Guard Life Series
GuardLife is inspired by the iconic Lifeguard stands on Chicago beaches, specifically Osterman Beach (aka Hollywood Beach).
After the loss of my Mom—a sensation so deep it took away my sense of purpose—I didn’t know how to move forward. I began to photograph, draw, print and paint images of inactive life guard stands that lay on their sides on the empty wintertime beach. The guard stand is a metaphor for a sense of safety. Its typical environment includes open sky and stretches of water, both vast and full of wonderment. But overturned in the sand, it begs uncertainty. Making images of the life guard stand over and over again provides solace and speaks to the repetitive nature of grief. You have to keep deciding over and over again where to go from there.
