Danielle Durchslag

Danielle Durchslag is an artist and arts educator living in New York City. Her work has been exhibited at the Brooklyn Public Library, Jewish Theological Seminary, The Wassaic Project, and the Invisible Dog, among others. She received a BA from Wellesley College and an MA from New York University.

Danielle Durchslag, Relative Unknown 28, 2013, paper, tape, glue, vintage board, 6 x 9 inches

Relative Unknowns is on view at the Denny Gallery in New York through February 2, 2014.

Arts and Culture

Relative Unknowns: When Images Outlast Memory, but Not Meaning

By Danielle Durchslag

Most of us grow up in homes where a mix of historical and recent family photos preserve the family’s collective memory, linking present to past, and serving as a tangible way to honor and safeguard the memories of loved ones no longer with us physically. Yet our displays — like our memories — are selective.

Even as a little kid, I felt drawn most to the photos that didn’t make the cut. These, my mother kept relegated to a large, plastic bin in the upstairs closet. As soon as I could climb a ladder, I’d spend hours poring over the contents. I loved examining the faces of people I knew, witnessing their different hairstyles and dress choices over time.