me, us

For the last six years, I have been a disability support worker for Sonny; a charming, funny, and friendly 18-year-old boy.

Our client/support worker relationship has evolved into a friendship. Twice weekly I picked Sonny up from school, we watched and waved to the school buses when they left, walked to get the bus to his house, smelling flowers and stopping and greeting those we met along the way. We prepared Sonny’s snack, then either watched a movie, danced to Youtube videos on his iPad, or made pictures. Once a week I prepared his breakfast, we ate and brushed our teeth together, I helped him get dressed and walked him to school. On holidays we occasionally go to the movies, catch a train to the beach or city and visit the NGV.

Receiving my ADHD Autism diagnosis two years ago gave me an explanation for why I am the way I am. With Sonny, I can unmask. We can sit in comfortable silence, I can stim without judgement, and I do not experience the anxiety that I feel in most other circumstances.

For this work, I bought Sonny a basic point and shoot digital camera. I brought our cameras to all my shifts with him, and allowed him to guide the photographs he takes, as well as offer suggestions.

The result of the images that we made together is the collaborative photobook titled “me, us”. Developed over two four-month periods when Sonny was 16 and 17, images are sequenced to reflect the routine nature of our interactions.

The book shows glimpses of Sonny’s house, us in the world, our engagement with nature, and back home again. The cover illustration was created by photographing Sonny’s camera, which Sonny traced, and I scanned. Colours used for the text and cover are a reference to Sonny’s school uniform.

Me, us celebrates incremental growth, friendship, routine, and being more than our labels.

48pp
Perfect Bound
Printed by Little Print
me, us is supported through the Australian Cultural Fund.

Signed, limited edition print run.