Inherited Moments

Collaboration with photographer Chris Ireland

— Sound, QR Codes, Furniture, Grandfather Clock, and Archival Pigment Prints Framed on Wall, DImensions Variable—

Inherited Moments references the visual similarities and nostalgia already part of our collective consciousness and in our family vernacular. It discusses the idea of memory—and even the rewriting of one’s personal narrative through time.

Through their alternative approaches, H. Jennings Sheffield and Chris Ireland utilize familial imagery to convey both the intimacy and diverse roles and relationships individuals play within a family unit. These roles can create contrasting moments ranging from the mundane to chaotic.

The furniture and framed family photos in the exhibition were created from a blog project the artists have been collaborating on since the pandemic in 2020. For this project, one artist posted an image from their family archives and the second artist responded with a story from their childhood inspired by the image. The installation is essentially a live show of this blog. It includes furniture and chairs which serve as references to the family living room. It contains salon-style framed images reflecting moments that inspired the stories from their childhood. The QR codes lead the viewer to an audio recording of one artist reading their memory that coincides with the other artist’s childhood photo. This work references the visual similarities and nostalgia already part of our collective consciousness and in our family vernacular. It references the visual similarities and nostalgia already part of our collective consciousness and in our family vernacular. It discusses the idea of memory—and even the rewriting of one’s personal narrative through time. The space allows the viewer to enter the family living room, sit down, and investigate the images and reconsider their own personal childhood narratives.

All photos above by Emerald McIntyre