SCHOOLCRAFT

A loving family resides in the middle of Washington state in the North West corner of America. Surrounded by rolling hills and the beauty of nature, how else would one wish to spend quality family time together other than firing assault rifles and launching home made rockets in to the sky?

When Swedish born Alice Schoolcraft discovered a photograph of her father’s American cousin, she was intrigued to see that half way around the world lives a family whose life is completely opposite to her own, yet ineluctably bound to her through blood. Schoolcraft decided to explore what would turn out to be a seemingly alter life, one which was full of interests and beliefs altogether foreign to her own, yet given circumstances of nature could well have been herself she was documenting.

“As Jessica [my first cousin once removed] proudly stands in front of me wearing red earmuffs and holding a semi-automatic rifle with a bayonet attached, I see a distinct reflection of myself in her, and this is something I could never have expected to find.” (Alice Schoolcraft)

The resulting work mixes intimate snapshots of a particular kind of everyday life with observational studies of a rural, pro-gun American family. The photographs drift smoothly between reactions of endearment and bewilderment, combining images of both shocking and compassionate moments.

The work is both a unique interpretation of an unwittingly controversial lifestyle and a fascinating reflection on the formation of social culture satisfying Nurture over Nature.