The Bailey Women
Artist Statement
The name Bailey has been passed down in my family for countless generations before it graced upon me as my first name. The significance of Bailey represents the uniquely matriarchal nature of our household and the strength, resilience and perseverance that these women possess. Being brought up under these women strengthened our familial ties and further shaped my identity. “The Bailey Women” is an exploration of our interpersonal relationships and the connective beauty that is found in our interactions with one another. It sheds light on our ancestors and how they continue to influence the present family dynamic.
– Bailey Matthews
Hueman Collective:
How did you first begin working in photography?
Bailey Matthews:
I guess technically, I started photography at the ripe age of 16, and I had a high school teacher that was into photography. She was like my mentor, and she would take me around with her to weddings and different events and that kind of thing. When I first came to Auburn, I didn't really have any gear. I was just kind of using what she had. And so I was like, “Okay, well, how can I be a part of organizations that have gear and would let me use it?” So I joined yearbook and things like that. Then it just kinda grew from there. But I was really interested in more of "making" images rather than "taking" them. Like, I really love being at the event and taking the photo, but what was more exciting was getting the photo afterward and feeling what it was like to be there again. I’m always asking myself, “How do I recreate that moment to make it feel like how it was while I was there?”
Hueco:
As a creative medium, how do you approach photography?
Bailey:
I always consider photography to be a means to get all of my emotions out in a visual image. And so to me, when I create any type of photography, I always think about the emotive side, like, what is it portraying? Story-wise, what's the narrative here? And actually a lot of the photos that I do make are of my family, because they're the ones that are most comfortable around me, so they're not going to act differently in front of the camera than they would off of it. I really want to see people for who they are and get that across in my photography, whether that be through a straight forward image or something that I completely stage.
I see my work as mostly for me and inspired by what type of story I want to tell or what part of my past I want to portray to the world. I enjoy it when people like it, but if they don't it's okay, too.
During my time at Auburn, I have been a part of the fine art community of photography, so that has inspired me to be a little bit more open with sharing my portfolio and sharing my work. But that took a long time to get used to because it is very personal, and you don't want it up for critique. But the older I've grown, the more honed my skills have become and I see my vision coming to life. I feel like I have a voice to share.
Hueco:
Recently, you’ve transitioned to shooting less digital photography more film photography. What is it about film that inspires you?
Bailey:
I feel like digital, in a lot of ways, is not as tangible as film. And I really like actually being the person that gets to hold the film and picture. Instead of editing it on a computer, I am the artist and the creative that gets a hand in everything that's going on. And with film, you know, there's like a grittiness to it—again, part of that tangibility. It’s just so timeless that you could have taken the photo so many years ago, and it could still look the same today. Film is timeless, and I really like the quality that it produces. It goes back to that emotive quality, with film, it can be a simple photo where it's just a person or a family member, but then it's so much more when it's tangible right in front of you. So I think that's what really has drawn me to it and why I've begun to use it a lot in my practices.
Hueco:
How did your creative process change when you transitioned from digital to film photography?
Bailey:
I felt like with digital, if I was on a time crunch, I would try to get as many photos as I could—like, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Whereas with film, because you only have so many shots, you've got to get it how you want it the first time, and you can't see it. So it causes you to slow down and really take your time. You come to enjoy the process of setting up and taking the image and creating a story that way. It causes you to wait and look forward to something. You can look at it with a fresh new pair of eyes compared to when you were taking it in that moment. Because you're in such a different mindset when you're out in the field than when you're looking at your work later. So I think those two different perspectives have helped shape who I am as a photographer and how I want to continue treating my work.
Hueco:
So, for this photo essay your subject was your family. What made you choose family?
Bailey:
I chose my family because I am very close with them. It started off with my grandma. I always tried to take pictures of her because I wanted to have photos of her where she felt like her most beautiful self. She often says "Oh, I look this way," or " I'm too old for all of that." So I wanted to say to her, "Yes, you're older, but that just makes you even more beautiful in my eyes." So it started with her. Then I wanted to see what it looked like if we, as a whole family got in front of the camera instead of just one person and see how our interactions with each other would translate into the camera. So that was a journey. You know, there have been a lot of hardships in my family, and I felt like we needed that moment to get together and just love on each other and have something to keep to look back on no matter what.
Hueco:
How did your family react when you told them about your project?
Bailey:
My mom was more on board with it in the beginning. My grandma wasn’t so sure. But I think what made them a lot more comfortable is that I wasn't just in their face with a camera the whole time.
So it was just like, we're still who we are in front of the camera. And I think once they're at ease and they're not having to be uncomfortable for the sake of me, I think they got a lot more into what it was I was doing.
Hueco:
So the essay title is, "The Bailey Women." Explain the importance of that name to you and your family.
Bailey:
So my grandma and mom's last name is Bailey. So when I was born, they wanted to give that to me as my first name, and it’s something I really cherish. My Grandma has boxes upon boxes of family photos, and when I look through them there are all of these people with the last name, Bailey. It goes back for generations and generations. And now you have me whose first name is Bailey—it's literally who I am.
Hueco:
How have the Bailey women in your life shaped who you are today?
Bailey:
The women in my life, especially the Bailey side of the family, have been through their fair share of hardships and tribulations. But through the face of it all, I see them as this resilient, persevering force to be reckoned with. No matter what knocks them down, they always get back up. They're very strong-willed and very determined people. So growing up with them, I think that has molded me into that as well. I'm very strong-willed, and whenever things that I may not like come up in life, I do think of them and how they handle situations—it's the Bailey way.
“I remember when she was standing there, she looked really angelic in a way. Even though she’s older, she looked very youthful because of the lighting and the drapery ... Her look and her eyes really make the photo stand out. But that’s exactly how I see my grandma in that photograph.”
Hueco:
Tell us a little about your grandmother and mother?
Bailey:
My Grandma’s name is Lillie Magdalene Bailey. She grew up in Oxford, Alabama. She was born In 1938. Her mother was a factory worker, and her father was in WWII. She moved to our hometown when I think she was like 13. When she was 20 years old, she met my grandfather who worked right next door. He owned a cabinet shop, So they would come out every day to go to lunch.
My Mom’s name is Angela Paige Bailey. She grew up in Oxford, too. Then she moved off to Auburn. She met my dad there. But after their divorce, she moved back with us back to Oxford. She was a teacher for the longest time, and now she's started an adult literacy program at their library and she is very passionate about that. Growing up, my grandma was kind of like the head of the household. We’re very matriarchal, right? Growing up under them and how they lead has been great.
Hueco:
What was your goal for the photo essay?
Bailey:
My goal was to really showcase who the bailey women are through a different variety of ways. I'm usually very organized, and I like everything to go the way that I intended it to go. That's just usually how I approach photoshoots, but I realized with this project, I wanted to take a more fluid approach. So I was mindful of our time together and tried to capitalize it. This project was very challenging but very comfortable at the same time if that makes any sense.
I chose to photograph not only them but the space around them and what makes their space a part of their identity and who they are and how it interacts with a lot of our relationships. The Images feel comfortable and like home to me.
Hueco:
Walk us through some of the process. How was it planning and creating the series?
Bailey:
Home is about two hours away, and I have a full closet full of gear, so I literally loaded up my truck with all of my gear so I would have anything I needed. I had my digital camera but I also made sure to have at least one or two film cameras with me to get a different type of feel. Because, something captured on a digital camera might look and feel different on film. I had all kinds of things—tripods, self-timers, and backgrounds—to kind of make a little home studio in the space. Grandma told me a story about when they were kids, and they had the giant film cameras with the big flashing lights. She was like, “This is what this feels like!” And I was like, “Well, I promise you won't be blinded, but we'll just see.” [laughs]
[Looking at the photograph of her grandma by the window]
I took this with my 4x5 field camera. I had four shots and limited capability in terms of adjusting the lens for lighting or anything. So I knew I wanted it by the window, and I remember when she was standing there, she looked really angelic in a way. Even though she's older, she looked very youthful because of the lighting and the drapery and everything. I just thought that that made for a really great composition. Her look and her eyes really make the photo stand out. But that's exactly how I see my grandma in that photograph.
Hueco:
I know all of these photographs are incredibly personal, but is there one that stands out to you in particular?
Bailey:
I love the one with the three of us looking in front of the camera and smiling. There's just something else behind it that really drives the narrative forward. And really love how we're all overlaid on top of each other.I created this one as a triple exposure. I feel like the photograph is morphing us.
Hueco:
How did you come up with the photograph of the hands and pearls?
Bailey:
I love the story behind this one. It’s so simple but so beautiful at the same time. I had this idea for the longest of joining our hands together and showing our togetherness in that way. I wanted it to show some type of femininity, but in a classic way, and I was trying to think of something. Then all of a sudden my grandmother pulled out her mother's old pearl necklace, and my mom was just like, “How about we do something like this where our hands are intertwined?” So it was like they had a part in the process as well.
It came out way better than I hoped. The way pearls are classic and how we're kind of intertwined, it adds another layer. It being my grandmother's mothers necklace, too. So it's like the four of us intertwined in this one photo. I really, really love how we all came together quite literally, to have this image come to life.
“I always consider photography to be a means to get all of my emotions out in a visual image.”
Hueco:
Earlier, you mentioned being a part of the photography community at Auburn University, How has the community you’ve found here in Auburn and Opelika impacted you creatively?
Bailey:
The beauty of always learning is through collaboration. Being a part of this community has allowed me to not only work on getting better at what I do, but to also meet really different, unique perspectives along the way. The people I've been able to meet have really inspired me—we're obviously doing something we love, but we're doing so in a different way. So when we put both of our images or both of our pieces together, they're completely different. And so I kind of love that we're a community where we're all bringing different perspectives and different viewpoints, and we all come together in this conglomerate. It's just a beautiful mix, essentially.
It has taken me a long time to get to the point of not comparing myself to others in a negative way. Because when you first start off, you're trying to prove yourself in a sense. You're very self-conscious. And now that I've gotten to the point where I'm very aware of my work and I'm very comfortable with who I am and what I present—you make so many more connections that way when you're not tearing each other down. I really value the time I get to spend with other people and how much they bring to the table. We're all really passionate about what we do, but we might just all do different things, which is totally awesome.
Hueco:
What would you say to someone who may still be comparing themselves to others in a negative way and perhaps doesn’t feel like they’re good enough or worthy to pursue their passions?
Bailey:
I feel like, a lot of the time, the way that you project onto other people is actually the way that you feel about yourself. When I was first starting off, I was sometimes bitter because I felt like other people were doing better than me. Sometimes you have to stop and ask yourself, am I actually mad at them, or do I just feel insecure about what I'm doing? If you’re feeling insecure or unsure of yourself, you have to just get out there and just take one step at a time. If you have this idea, ask yourself, what would it take to kind of make that come to life? Then break it down and actually do it. Even if you fail, at least you went out there, and you learned something. And then when you add other people in the mix that are also interested in what you're doing, you're working with each other, and you're collaborating with each other. Hopefully, you're building friendships and relationships with each other too.
In terms of being scared, you just have to jump. You just have to make that first step. Because I remember being scared, and then once you do it the first time you get a lot more comfortable, and you know what it's like. You get a lot more comfortable with your work and realize that just because it is personal to you doesn't mean that it couldn't be personal to someone else as well. It might strike up something in someone else, and you could have the privilege to be a part of that.
Bailey Matthews currently works at Auburn University and is working on a number of new creative projects. You can visit her website at www.baileymatthewsdesign.com to see more of her work or follow her on Instagram.
The Bailey Women
Photo Essay
