Carol in her Mother's Dress 1972

Joan Cassis made this photograph, Carol in her Mother's Dress, at an unknown date. The pink, light-filled room acts like a stage where a young girl is enacting a drama of her own making. I can imagine Cassis as a young photographer, carefully framing the world through her viewfinder. The textures of the walls, the girl's dress, and the worn surfaces of the furniture create a feeling of intimacy and nostalgia. The light seems to glow from within, softening edges and casting long shadows. I wonder what Cassis was thinking as she composed this shot. Was she interested in the way that clothes can transform us, allowing us to try on different identities? Was she exploring the relationship between mothers and daughters, or the way that memory shapes our sense of self? Maybe she was interested in how visual artists like painters or filmmakers create atmosphere, or convey emotional narratives. Photography is an ongoing conversation. Cassis’s work invites us to consider the ways we see and remember.