By Lisa Swearingen
At Southeast Museum of Photography, a captivating display exhibits a loving and care free life through the lens of a camera. The gallery called, ‘I Still Do’, by Judith Fox, captures the daily life of her husband, Dr. Edmund Ackell’s, living with Alzheimer’s disease.
The photographs not only show the life of Ackell, but the emotions felt by Fox. There are quotes by Fox tagged next to each of the pictures. The words have a poetic prose set to them and the photographs are intended to show the world that someone living with Alzheimer’s is just as normal as the next person, but the mind will have its moments of forgetfulness.
Alzheimer’s is still a disease that doctor’s don’t have all the answers for and people tend to get lost in the shuffle as just a bunch of statistics. Fox’s gallery finally puts a face to the numbers.
The thirteen photographs chronicle the simplicity of daily life and what most take for granted. Every day things, such as showering, having a cup of coffee, shaking hands or being silly, can be instantly or gradually forgotten due to Alzheimer’s. The photos are simple and pleasant, yet have a quality about them that is powerful to the eye of the gallery patron.
The pictures are personal, but Fox has decided to share them with the world and include her own thoughts that are tagged alongside the pictures. The words speak not only about the photo, but about the daily life of an Alzheimer’s patient and his wife still trying to lead as normal of a life as possible.
One photograph, which shows only Fox and Ackell’s embraced hands, is tagged by Fox’s words: “In the midst of a devastating disease there are still lovely moments, laughs, hands held, bodies touched, and the precious and fragile gift of time forgotten”.
Another of Fox’s photographs is one of a smiling Ackell. The wordsdisplayed beside the picture state: “I love that Ed is delighted anew by familiar things. When we drive through our neighborhood he says, ‘This is territory I’ve never seen before’”.
Joynekia Favors, employee of SMP and nursing major, says that the gallery was “nice and touching”. Favors also says, “If you haven’t experienced Alzheimer’s personally, you will be affected emotionally”.
The gallery has been at the SMP since Sept 25, and will through Dec 16. Judith Fox will be present at the SMP for an artist’s talk and book signing on Dec 8. The event is scheduled from 6- 8 p.m.