Julian & Jonathan
Julian & Jonathan, a photo book by Sarah Mei Herman, presents an intimate observation of the relationship between her father, Julian, and half-brother, Jonathan, spanning over 20 years. This book serves as an invitation and a window into the family dynamics through the lens of an insider.
The unique perspective allows for an exploration of relationships from a perspective of a triangulation that includes Sarah Mei as the photographer and a family member, enabling a shift in perspectives and a nuanced sense of closeness and distance between the subjects.
Themes of loneliness, family dynamics, and the passage of time are explored, depicting the ever-evolving cycle of life and relationships. Proximity and distance between family members are felt throughout the book, revealing the father-son connection and that of the silent observer, the creator of these moments, and the person behind the lens. Sarah Mei explains her approach, stating the need to balance staged and documentary elements, “I’m aspiring towards that combination of my own fantasy and what’s actually taking place in a given moment. My images look like documentary photographs, but they are curated to some extent to achieve a sense of silence.”
In this interview, we delve into the family as a construct from the perspective of the artist, daughter, and half-sister. We discuss triangulation as a layer of connection between family members, as well as contrasts of proximity and distance, loneliness and togetherness, and the dynamics across generations. Sarah Mei shares insights about working on the printed edition and her conversations with Stuart Smith from GOST Books throughout the process.
Sarah Mei Herman is an artist from the Netherlands. She earned her BA in Photography from The Royal Academy of Art, The Hague, and an MA in Fine Art Photography from London’s Royal College of Art. Julian & Jonathan is her second photobook, published by GOST Books.
Photography by Sarah Mei Herman Published by GOST Books Poem by Maria Barnas Essay by George King Edited and designed by GOST Books Printed in Italy by EBS
With support of support of
Mondriaan Fonds
het Cultuurfonds
Stichting Niemeijer Fonds
Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst
Jaap Harten Fonds
Publication Details
230 x 280 mm
160 pages, 140 images
Hardback
Get your copy at Gost Books
‘There is one thing that immediately comes to mind, and that is the fact that my father was quite (over)protective and worried about me when I was young.’
Family
The age gap between you and your half-brother is 20 years, which enables you to perceive the concept of family, growing up, and sibling relationships from a very different perspective than most people have. The perspective comes in comparison to your upbringing and the changes in parenthood when your brother was growing up due to your father having more experience as a parent, the social, cultural, and technological shifts that influence these differences. What did you learn about the family as a construct through the intimate moments of stepping back, reflecting on these experiences, and working through time to capture them as images?
That’s not an easy but very interesting question. There is one thing that immediately comes to mind, and that is the fact that my father was quite (over)protective and worried about me when I was young. When I had a cold or a bad cough, he immediately wanted to take me to a doctor, and he was often worried that my clothes were not warm enough. During a family holiday in South Africa when I was already 20 years old, my cousin and I wanted to go out with two Italian young men. My father made them both hand their passports to him, which he gave back to them upon our return. With my half-brother, he seemed to be a lot more relaxed about these kinds of things. I guess, in this last case, it has to do with the fact that I’m a girl and Jonathan is a boy. Several years ago, when Julian and Jonathan were in South Africa together, Jonathan (16 at the time) took a bungee jump. I don’t think my father would have ever let me do that back then! And my father was more strict with me than with Jonathan. Like with table manners, for example, and regarding social labels. My father has probably become calmer and more mellow with age.
‘I work slowly and precisely to remove elements from the frame that might distract from the essence of the image. My intention is to peel away the layers and everything superfluous in order to arrive at a new truth.’
Julian & Jonathan
One of the prominent themes in the book is the work with contrasts: proximity and distance, loneliness and togetherness, and the dynamics between first, second, and third generations. What I find striking is the calmness and tranquility that come as a common thread throughout the narrative, the feeling that every character has their personal space distinct from the other, which is true not only in portraits but also in images featuring two or more subjects. What was your approach to making those moments and blending documentary with staged photography to create this atmosphere?
In general, I subscribe to a ‘less is more’ philosophy: my imagery is calm, soft, and subtle with a deliberately natural palette of painterly colors. To achieve this effect, I work slowly and precisely to remove elements from the frame that might distract from the essence of the image. My intention is to peel away the layers and everything superfluous in order to arrive at a new truth. In this way, there is a balance between staging and embracing the environment as I find it; a dance between fiction and reality. It is precisely these contrasting elements that fascinate me. I’m aspiring towards that combination of my own fantasy and what’s actually taking place in a given moment. My images look like documentary photographs, but they are curated to some extent to achieve a sense of silence.
In terms of my role in directing the image, I tend to choose a shoot location before placing subjects within the frame. These locations often have a personal resonance with the sitter. Within these boundaries, I always leave space for the unexpected to come to the fore. I’m interested in what might arise between the sitter and I, as well as how the dynamic unfolds between those being portrayed — in cases when I’m working with multiple subjects.
‘I have learned over the years working on this series that if you stick with something very close to your heart, no matter how difficult at times, the struggle is worth it, and it pays off, both personally and professionally.’
The Triangulation
The additional layer of connection between you, your father, and your half-brother comes from the juxtaposition of the subjects to the photographer balancing two roles: that of a family member and an observer. For instance, witnessing Jonathan’s emotions after his father shouted at him, deciding to take a moment and make a portrait out of it. What was this experience like for you, and what did you learn during the years from personal and professional perspectives?
I think that taking a certain distance as 'an observer' enabled me to photograph my father and half-brother the way I did. It wouldn’t be possible otherwise; a certain distance is necessary. At the same time, this wasn’t always easy, and I sometimes experienced conflicting emotions. I am deeply embedded but also an outsider looking in. I have my own family life, and I am able to come and go into Julian and Jonathan’s lives at my discretion. There is a sense of melancholy to the brevity of our interactions but also a power, I believe. It helps me notice the changes that I wouldn’t observe if I were with them all the time.
This project charts my trajectory as a photographic artist, as well as my position as a daughter and a half-sister within this particular family context. It’s equally about fatherhood and what it means to become a father for a second time later on in life. I often wonder what it must feel like for Jonathan to have an older father. In my case, I know that it was unusual to be met with a new sibling as a 20-year-old adult. With this in mind, I’ve always been interested in how Jonathan’s arrival might have transformed the dynamics of my own father-daughter relationship with Julian. Throughout, the series deals with our individual positions as well as how they ebb and flow in relation to one another.
I guess, I have learned over the years working on this series that if you stick with something very close to your heart, no matter how difficult at times, the struggle is worth it, and it pays off, both personally and professionally. I have always been close to my father, but my relationship with Jonathan has always been a complicated one; it’s not easy to get closer to him. By photographing him repeatedly over so many years, a special bond came into being. A bond that exists exclusively within these shoots; these moments between us. And that a very personal project like mine can still resonate with others on a more universal level.
‘The closing image of the landscape can be seen as an open ending; the trees are both intertwined, as well as, growing apart as a metaphor for my father and brother.’
The Editing and Publishing
What guiding principle did you follow when designing the layouts, leaving out images and deciding on sequencing to tell the story of Julian & Jonathan, creating a format that encourages reflection on the life cycle through the opening image of your grandmother, the unfolding story of your brother and father growing up and growing older, and the closing image of a landscape?
It was a challenging and very time-consuming process getting to the final edit and design for the book, sometimes letting go of certain photographs that are important to me. The only thing that was very clear to me beforehand was that the story should be told chronologically so that the passage of time over approximately 20 years would be clearly palpable.
In dialogue with Stuart Smith from GOST Books, I have spent many hours discussing my photographs, my project, and the architecture of the book. We often spoke about the tension involved in making something that feels fresh and new but remains profoundly honest and personal. We decided on the opening image because it introduces us as a family, including my grandmother, who was at the end of her life when I started my project. Throughout the story, Julian doesn’t change very much, in essence. Instead, he slowly and gradually ages; a man watching himself getting older over a period of 20 years.
At various different junctures, the viewer is invited to think about that moment when you become aware of your own mortality and that you will not last forever. Where Julian is watching his son grow up, the cycle of life means we are all closely monitoring the broader progression of time. The closing image of the landscape can be seen as an open ending; the trees are both intertwined, as well as, growing apart as a metaphor for my father and brother. This is something that, to a certain extent, inevitably happens between a parent and their child.
