Not on display

Mother and Child

Photograph
1998 (photographed), 2000 (photographed)
Artist/Maker
Ackroyd, Heather (artist)
Harvey, Daniel (artist)
Place of origin
Britain (made)

Large black and white photograph of a mother and child. The image appears on a grass surface.

Object details

Category
Photographs
Object type
Photograph
TitleMother and Child (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
gelatin silver print
Brief description
Photograph, 'Mother and Child' by Heather Ackroyd and Daniel Harvey.
Physical description
Large black and white photograph of a mother and child. The image appears on a grass surface.
Dimensions
  • Image height: 1830mm
  • Image width: 1150mm
Copy number
1 of 5
Gallery label
Photo London: Beneath the Surface
Somerset House May 20 - August 24

Ackroyd and Harvey (Heather Ackroyd, born 1959, and Daniel Harvey, born 1959)
Mother and Child, 1998/2000

Ackroyd and Harvey’s work employs both photography and photosynthesis. To create this image of Ackroyd and her daughter, the artists projected a photographic negative onto grass seeds. As the grass germinated, it produced varying amounts of chlorophyll reacting to the light, resulting in shades of green that formed the image. The grass was re-photographed before it withered to make this black and white print. The image provides a symbolic and scientific take on genetics and raises questions about preservation and posterity.

Gelatin silver print
V&A Museum no. E.5585-2000
Object history
Purchased from the artitsts
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.5585-2000

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Record createdDecember 18, 2000
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O50621/mother-and-child-photograph-ackroyd-heather/
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