David Fagan Photography

What does legacy look like? How is heritage defined and understood in the age of picture consumption and ubiquity? Preoccupied with visual culture and personal histories, I use vintage photographs and heirloom objects to investigate the aura of picture collecting and meaning. Long after they have been lifted from their original contexts, images and objects symbolically define subtle remnants of existence, identity, and family. Once these photos reunite in conversation with their artifacts, a new story emerges that challenges notions of documentation and existence.

Reflection and visual impediments are always at play in the act of seeing.

The term numinous is defined as having a mysterious, holy, or spiritual quality that appeals to the higher emotions and aesthetic senses. I ponder the term to positively differentiate my interpretation of spirituality from the restricted definitions and considerations that seem confined to religious discourse. Environments can be viewed to contemplate a spiritual reality not defined by religious creeds or ethical criteria but as meditative and contemplative moments. They offer a vision of mystery and sublimation. For C.G. Jung, ‘numinous’ is an alteration of consciousness that involves powerful experiences coupled with the unconscious mind that include memory, dreams and reflections.

Postcards represent visual communication from another century. I liken them to image sharing technologies today.

On a warm Spring morning in the heart of Tuscany, I had the opportunity to photograph Valentina and Julia — two dancers from the Sienese ballet company. Nestled behind rows of cypress trees and vineyards, this Tuscan villa and gardens became a backdrop to capture their style and grace.