Nicholas Nixon has been photographing his wife, Bebe, and her three sisters once a year for the past forty years.
The project, which originally began in 1974, has become a family ritual, and is currently on display at New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). 'Nicholas Nixon: Forty Years of The Brown Sisters' will also be released as a book.
The sisters, who ranged in age from 15 to 25 when the series began, have gone through the trials and tribulations of life together. The annual portraits reveal countless experiences, from graduating college to getting married, and everything in between and beyond. As Ellyn Kail writes, "Where most photographs strive to capture a mere moment, Nixon’s archive touches on those things in our ephemeral existence that approach permanence."
Poignant Sisterhood Portaits
Nicholas Nixon Captures the Bond of Sisterhood in His Archival Series
Trend Themes
1. Long-term Documentation - The project of photographing sisters once a year for forty years showcases the trend of extended, ongoing documentation of personal experiences.
2. Family Rituals as Art - The annual portraits of the sisters represent the trend of turning personal family rituals into artistic expressions with a broader cultural impact.
3. Reflecting on Time and Growth - The forty-year series of portraits highlights the trend of using visual storytelling to explore the themes of time, aging, and personal development.
Industry Implications
1. Photography - The long-term documentation trend presents disruptive innovation opportunities in photography, encouraging photographers to find unique ways to document personal experiences over extended periods.
2. Fine Art - Transforming personal family rituals into artistic expressions represents an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the fine art industry by showcasing the power of intimate and relatable storytelling.
3. Publishing - The release of 'Nicholas Nixon: Forty Years of The Brown Sisters' as a book demonstrates an innovative approach to publishing personal projects that resonate with a wide audience.