Deanna Dikeman’s photography series, “Leaving and Waving,” is a poignant exploration of time, human connection, and the ordinary moments that shape our lives. Spanning 27 years, the series chronicles the goodbyes between Dikeman and her parents as they navigate the passage of time.
Deanna Dikeman\u2019s photography series, \”Leaving and Waving,\” is a poignant exploration of time, human connection, and the ordinary moments that shape our lives. Spanning 27 years, the series chronicles the goodbyes between Dikeman and her parents as they navigate the passage of time.
The subjects of the photographs are unexceptional, yet their ordinariness is precisely what makes them extraordinary. Dikeman\u2019s father worked as a traffic manager for a grain processing plant, while her mother was a homemaker who later worked as a secretary. Neither had a college education, and they regarded themselves as ordinary people from Iowa.
Dikeman didn\u2019t intend to create exceptionally beautiful or aesthetically pleasing photographs. Instead, she aimed to capture the aesthetic flatness of everyday life. The series finds meaning in its ordinary quality, making it relatable and accessible to viewers.
The photographs feel human because they capture time\u2019s relentless passage. Dikeman documents the most mundane places and processes, aware that we often neglect these moments. By doing so, she asks us to truly see and chronicle the world around us before it\u2019s too late.
Dikeman\u2019s series is a personal journey, as she reflects on her own experiences with her parents. The photographs are not just about their goodbyes but also about Dikeman\u2019s relationship with them. She knew that someday she would take the last picture of one of them, and she wanted to document those moments.
The series consists of 134 images, showcasing time\u2019s relentless passage as it wears down her parents biologically.
Key Images:
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Leaving and waving, 7/1991: A Kodachrome snapshot captures Dikeman\u2019s mom in a bright pink top and navy stretch shorts foregrounding the image, while her dad is stationed near the porch of their cherry-red house, raising a hand in a more distant goodbye.
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Leaving and waving, 7/2009: An eighteen-year gap between this monochrome photograph and its predecessor shows Dikeman\u2019s parents growing older.
The last photo, Leaving, 10/2017, captures the moment after Dikeman\u2019s mother passed away. It depicts a cherry-red house with an empty driveway, symbolizing the end of an era and the importance of recording the world before it fades away.
Dikeman\u2019s work is inspired by Virginia Woolf\u2019s notion that we often neglect to truly see or record the most quotidian times and places in their respective moments. By documenting these ordinary aspects, Dikeman encourages viewers to appreciate the beauty in everyday life and the importance of recording memories before they are lost.
\”Leaving and Waving\” is a poignant reminder to cherish and document our lives\u2019 mundane moments, acknowledging that it\u2019s often in these ordinary places and processes that we find true meaning.
- observer.com | ‘Leaving and Waving’ Is Deanna Dikeman’s Ode to the Routine
