Helen Stow

I am interested in portraiture and the use of symbols and symbolism within the photographic image and how a mood or feeling can be produced using our environment, objects and photographic technique.

Exploring issues that are important to me, focusing on family life and the sometimes painful processes of growing up and getting old, I have exposed my own fears of not only my children growing up and flying the nest but my own life rushing by to make work that comments on 21st Century society.

Using photography and video I have explored many aspects of family life including old age and memories, childhood and teenage life and expectations. Most recently my work comments on the falseness of the perfect family we portray to the outside world just like the family album only containing happy memories to show to the world.

In today's technological world of consumerism and reality TV we all strive to keep up with the "˜Jones' whilst criticizing others lives; voyeuristically from the comfort of our own living room, judging others for their dysfunctional lives whilst sitting within our own. Behind the net curtain the reality of day to day life is difficult as we all stress to achieve the perfect life sometimes even faking that pe...