In “Looking Forward” I combine an image of my mother’s high school photograph and one of her at 93 years old. The composite was meant to ask the question what my mother dreamed to accomplish at 18 years old, and what she finally experienced in life. For women of her time, conformity was valued and the American way was the “dream.” I think of my mother and how these societal norms impacted her life choices based on expectations. For the most part she has lived that “dream” even if at times it was not hers or what she wanted. The image is also meant to force the question of our own mortality and how much time remains for us to fulfill our own dreams.

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