Mothers and daughters, fathers and sons

How often do you get together as a family, how strong are the ties between family members once you leave home?.. Above, you see my mother holding a picture of my grandmother who is no longer with us. The four-year old child next to her is me. We were all a very tight female unit once and I miss it a lot.

This longing resulted in the project "Mothers and daughters, fathers and sons...". It looks at the relationships between family members, the female/ male bond, the energy between them. I have photographed nine groups of related men and women from Bedfordshire, who were kind enough to share their stories with me.

The exhibition is currently running at the Central Library in Luton,Beds until 8th June 2009 as a part of the B:Fest Art Festival. For more info please email me mcordwell@mail.ru. And here are the portraits and stories of the real people...

Carole's family just before their afternoon tea

“We always have been very close, a close-knit family. My sister lives in Ireland now so when she comes over we spend as much time together as we can. I like to keep my family near; it makes me feel content when we are all together”

Anne-Marie’s family celebrating Mother’s Day

“Our family are very important to each other. We are open, we listen then try to help and reassure each other. We all believe we are a strong female family unit and give each other unconditional love and support”

Ekrem’s family at his house on a Sunday afternoon

“We meet and have a chat over a coffee all the time. Some of us work together and we often visit each other’s houses… Sometimes we get on well, sometimes we argue and fight but we always look out for each other”

Amira’s family enjoying the Saturday morning sunshine

“We come from a culture where the family is almost the centre of everything, and this is something that has always stayed with us. Things can go up and down, but family remains, either physically or in our hearts…Our relationship is based on unconditional love, mutual understanding and trust”

Kevin’s family celebrating his birthday

“We get together several times a year. Once of us lives in London so it’s not always easy, but we make the time… A good family is one that understands and accepts the needs of each individual family member and our family has that”

Danny’s family having a bunter on a weekend

“Generally, we meet up at each others houses for a meal rather than go out. We also get together with each other for kids birthday parties and school fetes and plays…No family is perfect, but I believe we have great understanding of each other..

Kelly's family in the park

“We do everything together; we meet up at least every week. An ideal family to me is where people are always there for each other, it’s about friendship and support. And that’s what we’ve got, I think. Despite a big age gap, we all have a laugh together and understand each other perfectly”

Catherine’s family having a picnic in their garden

“An ideal family are close, loving and they look out for each other. We are a close family – loving and supportive. We are very open and can talk to each other easily and share any worries we have. We also have lots of laughs together”

PS will be very happy to hear your feedback or share ideas...get in touch!