Maia Morton
Story: I’ve spent hours combing through my parents old photo albums since i was a kid - listening to them reminisce on the 70’s and 80’s in ways that always had me saying “i can’t wait to grow up and step out into the world!” i would hear “oh, you don’t know nothing bout that.” “Oh, you couldn’t tell us nothing!” “We INVENTED COOL, man.” I could tell these weren’t peak moments, but moments full of love and laughter and feelings that will always transcend time: the joys of being young. We always have cares, but when we’re young, we have the privilege of being carefree. That ability to be carefree is a legacy Michael and Lisa have passed on to me, and those photo albums are chests full of that treasured idea, which has always been a catalyst to my artistic process.
I have always been an interdisciplinary artist who moves however inspiration tells me to. I was inspired to use these photos of my mom and aunts, most of whom she met at her creative and performing arts high school, to craft this collage titled “you weren’t there” as an ode to Philadelphia’s once and future fly girls. These photos encourage me to stay true to the dreams of my youth and the practices in my heart, which are always centered around storytelling in both the most fantastical and realistic ways. These photos preserve some of my mom’s most precious memories and keep me firmly planted at home even when I’m away. They push me towards who and what I want to reflect in the future while warming me in the present with fond moments of the past. Without their creative spirits, I would not have or be one."
Creative Field: Video Editing
Connect: @good.sundays