An ongoing body of work which utilizes medium format photography as a tool for exploring the transitory nature of youth and the search for queer community in Boston and beyond. In addition to working with silver gelatin, Pitkin also plays with image transfers, clay, and other substrates to create star-shaped, talismanic, image-objects. These objects subvert traditional notions regarding materiality of the image, offering a queer vessel for the image, expanding beyond the bounds of the two-dimensional print. When displayed together, Pitkin hopes that the combination of Portal (printed image) and Talisman (image-object) can form a harmonious constellation.
(Talisman images forthcoming...)
Healing Collage
This collection of work features three film photos either taken by or of Pitkin at various points in their childhood. However, instead of showing the images in their original form, they have been shredded, woven, and collaged back together, distorting these moments in time in the same way their memory was distorted by childhood depression. Melancholy, at such a vulnerable age, can deeply affect one's relationship to themselves, their environment, and the loved ones which surround them-- though childhood depression's most cruel gesture may be it can diminish one's ability to recall and reconsider their youth later in life. By weaving together and reimagining these moments, Pitkin is attempting to regain control over their childhood, especially their interactions with their father, from whom they inherited these feelings. Here, collage acts as a tool for healing and hope, leading Pitkin to a path of (hopefully) understanding that they are not a victim of circumstance but actually the witness to life's beautiful serene abundant flow of energy.
Drawing Strength From Symbols
In this project, Pitkin delves into the tangible remnants of their family history, utilizing cherished heirlooms, weathered photographs, and written family mythologies, to glean a deeper comprehension of the past while also reimagining it. The main componed of their project rooted in the recreation of their childhood kitchen table. First made by their aunt in the 1970s, Pitkin uses the table’s physical form as a base on which to emphasize the history and legacy of southern women in their family. Printed atop the tiled surface of the table are images of Pitkin themself, their mother Hope Nicholls, her sisters Gail Nicholls and Jane Nicholls White, and their grandmother, Gertrude “Scotty” Nicholls. Acting almost like a family tree, this piece provides a tangible space to for the different generations to act, allowing them to interact across temporal and spiritual boundaries. Other works within this project use the vernacular family photo as a tool for continued imagination.