A house or a home? Often these words are used interchangeably as synonyms in daily conversations. Yet, for many people the two words have strikingly different definitions, especially for those who are obligated to have two houses: children of separated families.
Increasingly, separation schedules are created that involve children spending equal time with both parents by commuting back and forth between houses on a daily to weekly basis. New York City poses interesting opportunities for children to live close to both parents (i.e.: same neighborhood, same apartment building), yet still separated (i.e.: different streets, different floors). For children living in two houses, they have to deal with two sets of possessions, dual cultures & religion, and considerations as to which bed they will sleep in at night and what items they will need to travel with them.
For most, the consistency of coming “home” to a physical “house” that is filled with personal belongings is taken for granted. Much of the literature and resources for separation focus on assisting parents. Not enough explores the nuances of what children go through and how they are able to cope and understand their dichotomous life situations. I argue that the concepts of home, identity, and belonging become increasingly apparent, especially as children reach their late teenage years.
My project will be a photographic, multimedia exploration of the unique situations of children of separation in New York City. Each photographic set will explore a different aspect of being a child living between two houses. I will interview the subjects, with parental permission, about their concepts of house and home and photograph the ways they create home within two houses. The final work is intended to visually shed light on these distinct living situations and the ways in which these children inhabit and define space.
