Permissions

Moments of recognisable domesticity are counterbalanced with more ethereal and amplified stories. Permissions bears witness to the artist’s endeavour to not only balance home life and motherhood— while raising three children— but also sustain her own professional life and creativity. The photographs in the book show moments of recognisable domesticity interspersed with more idyllic scenes. The images evidence Hardy’s attempts to balance her creative professional life with motherhood—watching her children grow and change alongside a maturing relationship with her own mother. The book is divided into chapters, each announced by large-format still life of home-grown flowers, made as a farewell during the last spring spent in the family’s house. As the book progresses, Hardy’s children grow increasingly independent and begin to venture away and out of frame. The project drew to a natural conclusion as the family moved away from their home.