Preston Gannaway – Remember Me

Review by Gerhard Clausing •

As I was contemplating this photobook and its narrative, I became more and more engrossed and found it to be a very moving experience. A professional photographer, Preston Gannaway, follows the life of a young kid as he grows up, covering all the formative years following the loss of his mother. The photographer is both an outsider of sorts to the family and yet becomes an insider through years of documentation, concern, and caring. It is clear from the details in the interview with the boy’s father that she became very much emotionally involved; she knew the mother and certainly has come to know the family well.

Remember Me presents images spanning a time of approximately 16 years in the life of Elijah (‘EJ’), from 2006 to 2022. The interview with Rich, EJ’s dad, in the back of the book relates many details about EJ’s life, especially the confusion and early anger after his mother’s death, much of it unspoken. This is where the images of Preston Gannaway come in: the reader/viewer can detect moments of sadness and anger that mirror the feelings of the mother who had to depart from their lives early on.

We are able to follow the progress EJ makes over the years. There are exploratory moments, times of rest and contemplation, along with details about early successes, such as Boy Scout achievements (mirroring his father’s accomplishments) and finishing High School. We also get a good sense of the New England environment in which EJ grew up. We get to share visuals of some of the friends and other supporters so crucial in a young person’s development.

What is particularly interesting is that the documentation when viewed by EJ some years later is perceived like a separate track which is somewhat detached from his actual life. That is a very natural reaction, since he has outgrown those moments of his early experiences. It may also be difficult or too challenging to remember and relive some of the early times of strife and confusion. Neighbors and friends at times might be critical of a project that follows a child through his formative years, documenting his coming of age. But the agreement of the protagonist is the most important part, and there is a certain legacy that derives from this documentation that both the family and the photographer can point to with great pride.

This large-format book presents 71 color images that convey a range of moods; they are well printed and arranged to allow plenty of time and space for contemplation and careful assessment. The interview with EJ’s father and additional recollection notes provide details that are helpful in understanding some of the background. But most important of all, sharing and thinking about a project like this can be a personal journey for each of us, because parts of it relate to our own challenges and progress over time. It is in this way that this book makes its special contribution. I highly recommend this photobook as a tool for personal introspection and as a stellar visual documentation of personal growth.

____________

Gerhard (Gerry) Clausing, Editor of the PhotoBook Journal, is an author and artist from Southern California.

____________

Preston Gannaway – Remember Me

Photographer: Preston Gannaway (born in Charlotte, North Carolina; lives in Sonoma County, California)

Texts: Interview with EJ’s father, Rich, and notes by EJ and Preston Gannaway

Language: English

Hardback, cloth-bound and foil-stamped; 132 pages with 71 images, numbered and annotated; 23.5 x 30.3 cm ( 9.25 x 12 inches); printed in Verona, Italy, by EBS; ISBN 978-1-915423-01-6

Editors and Designers: Katie Clifford, Gemma Gerhard, Justine Hucker, Allon Kaye, Eleanor Macnair, Claudia Paladini, Ana Rocha

____________

Articles and photographs published in the PhotoBook Journal may not be reproduced without the permission of the PhotoBook Journal staff and the photographer(s). All images, texts, and designs are under copyright by the authors and publishers.