Meredith Alm

What is your senior thesis?

My thesis is a continuation of my junior project. I’m photographing my mother who was recently diagnosed as Bipolar. I’m emphasizing the focus on her mood swings, manic behavior, and deep depression.

What motivated you to start this project? What inspires your creative process?

I was motivated to start this project after hearing many Photographers’ advice to photograph what you love. I took that in the literal sense. She’s the most important person in my life! Also she’s been having a very difficult time, on long-term disability, and really needed some help from her daughter, both emotional and physical. While I have to work during the school year I decided to put my mother into my photographs, killing two birds with one stone. I find her to be one of the most interesting people I know and enjoy photographing her quirks and idiosyncrasies. We spend a lot of time collaborating on images and spend a lot of time reminiscing about the past, which helps to inspire new images as well.

Do you work in film or digital? Please describe any technique or process relevant to your project.

I work completely analog. B&W silver prints from hand-developed negatives, and C-prints from lab developed color negatives.

Is this a new project or a continuation of previous work?

This is a continuation on last semester’s work but one I plan on doing for the rest of her life.

How has your work developed or changed over time?

I’ve become more specific about the work, more about my mother and me and how her illness affects both of us.

What artists/works of art have inspired or influenced you?

I’ve looked at a lot of female photographers like Tierney Gearnon and Elinor Carucci, plus of course Sally Mann and Emmit Gowin. I look at paintings as well as films.

What kind of response do you hope to get from your viewers? Is there a certain experience you want people to take away from your photographs?

I guess I want people to understand the rollercoaster ride of a person with manic depression. But also see how strong our bond is and the role reversals we have in our relationship.

What is the ideal setting to view your work? Do you picture your photographs in a book? In a gallery?

I can see placing some images in a gallery but mainly it belongs in a book.

Do you have any ideas or plans for future work?

I think I’ll run with this for a very long time, perhaps explore more projects dealing with close relationships, mine or other peoples’.

What do you see yourself doing after graduation?

I plan on attending grad school in the next few years and becoming a college photography professor at some point. I love to teach and want to keep the passion I felt in a beginning photography class alive.