Clair J Robins

Leaving
Leaving #5

On Wednesday 26th January 2011, two days before my father’s 70th birthday, my grandma ‘Edna’ at ninety five years of age left her marital home that she had lived in since 1948.

She wanted to leave.

Edna is now in a nursing home, she has plenty of fond memories of her life; however she is surrounded by very few personal possessions. She sleeps a lot. At lease we know she will be safe.

‘Leaving’ (work still in progress) documents the rooms and material objects after her departure. They show intimate glimpses of her life and of her great granddaughter Florrie. The house has seen four generations of my family living in it and visiting it. It has now come to an end. The house is sold and is being ‘cleared’.

I have just observed how mentally and physically exhausting this transition can be for all of the family.
Not wanting to be over sentimental, but as a hoarder myself, it has made me think about my home and my personal possessions. They are incredibly important to me. What will Florrie do with them when I ‘depart’? Are they nostalgic ‘heirlooms’ or simply junk and clutter? Will my possession become a burden?

Mortality and the transience of life is starting to make me feel nervous. Taking these photographs has made me feel old and quite sorrowful. Aesthetically my images have balance, structure and narrative, however emotionally they haunt me.