Lie and Smile
Rana Young

Lie and Smile is an ongoing series through which I examine the estranged relationship I had with my mother. My photographs reveal the tension of uncertainty as I learn about my parent from stories and inherited photographs.

I grew up hearing that my mother was a chameleon—deception masquerading as charm—evidenced by her impulsivity and familial neglect. After her passing in 2017, I began mining her history and investigating the forms of escapism she engaged in to conceal years of endured trauma. In responding to her mementos, photographs, and absence, I construct prosthetic memories to reinterpret what I’ve learned of her life and embalm her death. Perhaps I’m attempting to render a version of my mother I can confront or a version of her to forgive; either requires negotiating with her ghost. 

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Rana Young

Rana Young is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the School of Art at the University of Arkansas. Rana holds an MFA in Studio Art from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln where she was an Othmer Fellow and a BFA in Studio Art from Portland State University. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, as well as published online by PDN, Hyperallergic, VICE, Huffington Post, British Journal of Photography, and The New York Times, among others. Rana launched PHOTO–EMPHASIS, an online platform for highlighting contemporary works made by photography educators, students, and practitioners, with Alec Kaus in June 2017. In collaboration with Kris Graves Projects, she released her first monograph, The Rug’s Topography, in January 2019.