ICP Teen Academy
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K. Sage Gonzalez
Initially, I proposed the idea of shooting portraits with the intention to capture the process of aging. To my surprise, I received a lot of criticism for referring to my subjects as “old” as if it was disrespectful. I would be corrected with words like “wise” and “experienced” but if all of these words can be applied as obvious synonyms in this context, why has the word “old” been prohibited?
Over generations, being “old” has been given a negative connotation. When most people think of old they think of things that have reached their time and items that are no longer of use to them. When I think of old, I think of elevation and ascension of something good becoming greater. The word “old” is so charged since it shrinks confidence in many individuals that identify as such. It’s commonly used for harm and is against what’s “socially acceptable.”
Most people have countless photographs from their youth and childhood but at the other end of aging stands an empty void. The part of your life that society has made you look down upon. While capturing the way time affects an individual’s skin, I want it to be known that old being equivalent to useless is an outdated way of thinking and being old should be something you should have pride in. It should be a golden medal that just shines brighter as time goes on. The perception of the word old has been tainted and through my work I have every intention to portray the beauty in aging. Many are “wise” and “experienced” but not all of us are old.
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