Deborah Stenberg-Service

 The Ties that Bind Series:

In this series, I’m working from old family photographs. I know the identities of many of the people they depict, though some of the names are now lost to me. Poorly lit, badly composed and ever present, these banal images that chronicle our common experiences inspire me the most.

Mainly I am interested in emphasizing and exploring the psychological significance of body language; in observing the subtle interactions (or lack of) between family members and friends. Seemingly insignificant and innocent snap-shots reveal a great deal about the relationships between and among the subjects pictured.  I paint in oil on birch or Masonite panels because I like the solidity of wood and the organic slickness of oil

When I first began the series, my intention was to paint only sibling groups. However, working on a painting of my brothers and I, it became clear that the basic dynamics of those relationships, photographed more than forty years ago, are still at play today. As I became more aware of the nuances I was exploring, I expanded the series to include many types of relationships:  parents and children, first dates, best friends and so on.

I purposefully do not include the details of individual faces; rather than portraying personalities, I emphasize body language to convey the dynamics of interactions.  Posed in archetypal, almost theatrical settings, these figures become characters from our collective memories, and we recognize ourselves in them.