Memory is a work-in-progress and will evolve into an full-scale installation. The installation will draw upon the various generations of native Miami children and their childhood memories. However, I hope to evoke intimate and personal memories from all viewers, whether they are subjects or not.
My father, Dr. Jerry Hagen, was a legendary children's dentist for over fifty years in Miami Beach. His unique dentist's office was Western-themed and featured a life-size paper mache bull and wagon; super-8 silent film cartoons such as Mighty Mouse and Dinky Duck while the children received their fluoride treatment; and, most significantly, a collection of photographs dating back to 1949 of many of his patients.
In the earlier years, he would ask his patients to bring in their own photos which were often personally inscribed. When the Polaroid Land Camera was released in the 1960s, he started taking his own photographs of his patients and labeling them with the child's name on the front of the image. Some of the images include celebrity Miami natives such director Brett Rattner and musician Andy Gibb of the Bee Gees, just to name a few. The whole collection encompasses over 55 separate sheets of images held together with scotch tape in a collage format.
After my father passed away, I documented his exceptional dental office. I realized that my fascination with portraits was greatly influenced by the hundreds of faces adorning his walls. For the last 10 years, these historic sheets have been in storage. Finally, I unfolded the past to commence this layered project and bring back to life these stored memories. I am currently developing this project which will be layered with photographs, video, sound recordings and participatory events.
