Faculty of Art

Printmaking & Publications

Haley Burbine

Beach Days

This simple family photograph was taken at Ipperwash Beach in 2004. Although it is a simple image, it is full of my memories and lived experiences at this particular beach over the years. This photograph has hung in my house for as long as I can remember and every time I look at it, another memory comes to mind. When I was six years old, my family stayed at Ipperwash Beach for a few days with some other family members. I remember going down to the beach one afternoon and getting into a bright yellow kayak with my aunt. I don’t remember what we talked about or where exactly we went but for some reason this moment was still so clearly in my mind. That was until this past fall when I was going through some photographs or my thesis and I came across this image of six year old me, in a yellow kayak, with my aunt. The image represented my memory so perfectly and I started to wonder if I truly remember this moment, or if I just remember looking at the photograph years ago and it somehow influenced the memory I have now. This image and its background explores my memories associated with this experience and how my experiences reflect my families as well. The woven images and text show the connections between my memories and experiences and how they all connect to one another to create this overall story of my life.