DESCRIPTION
This series explores the themes of brokenness, struggles of loss and grief, regrets of past decisions and my personal experiences with generational trauma and mental health struggles. I was raised by parents who were both born in Germany during the 1930’s and experienced significant trauma as children. My parents were both quite a bit older than many of my friends’ parents, and often my home seemed “different” from others because they had lived through experiences that my friends’ parents had not. I would experience the atmosphere in my home as a dark cloud that was always present, a cloud that included fear, sadness, and depression, as well as control, manipulation, and suppression. Understanding the connections between my parent’s upbringing, the stories of their parents, and the effects of that on my life has taken years of research, therapy, and above all the processing that comes through artistic expression.
As I have made a personal choice to consciously break away from certain patterns, distance myself from unhealthy behavior and break the chain, I have been able to discover the immense abilities we possess to cope with trauma, the strength that evolves out of suffering and our desire for healing and wholeness.
AUTHOR
Manuela Thames is a fine art photographer from Germany residing in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Select Awards:
11th Julia Margaret Cameron Award Finalist: “Self-Portrait”
Black And White Magazine Portfolio Contest Spotlight Award
Honorable Mention, "Fine Art", "Portraits", B&W Child Photography: 2nd Annual International Photo Contest
Select Publications:
Black And White Magazine Feature and Interview
Shots Magazine #138 Feature and Interview
Minneapolis Photo Center Exhibition Book
PhotoPlaceGallery "Selfportrait", "Open Call" Exhibition Catalogues
Feature, Interview: Adore Noir Magazine
Feature, Interview: www.fragmentory.org
Feature juried Group exhibition, F-Stop Magazine Issue # 74
7th Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Women Photographers Finalist: “Children”
Lens Culture Exposure Awards, Competition Gallery
PhotoPlaceGallery "Selfportrait" Online Annex
Select Exhibitions:
5th Biennial of Fine Art & Documentary Photography, Barcelona, Spain
White Center for the Art, White Bear Lake MN. "Self Portrait" group exhibition,
Minneapolis Photo Center, Minneapolis MN. "Portraits" juried group exhibition.
PhotoPlaceGallery, Middlebury, VT. "Open Call" juried group exhibition.
Gallery 360, Minneapolis, MN. Five Foot Show
Homewood Studios, Minneapolis, MN. "The Transparent Self" juried group exhibition.
Flow Art Space, Saint Paul, MN. "Me, Myself and Eye" juried group exhibition.
Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR. "Shades of Gray" juried group exhibition.
Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR. "Photo Salon" juried group exhibition.
