ANTHONY ALLEY

TITLE: "Lost Heritage"

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Lost Heritage is a tribute to my Father who passed away a few months before I was born. He was a pilot and navigator in the United States Air Force and last served as a Captain. Lost Heritage allows the ability to relive memories through photos and documents that represent a person and their ethnic relationships. My piece uses scanned photos and documents to represent my Father along with a photoshopped background. The background is a combination of the Portuguese flag on top and the Jordanian flag underneath it which symbolizes my father’s two nationalities. The silhouette is the central focus of the image and is a scanned photo of my Father in his USAF uniform with his parachute and helmet at his side. The text across the entire image is a scanned letter from the Air Force rewarding him of the Pilot of the Month award at his Air Force base at the time. Having never really known my Father, I was personally driven to create something that could serve as a remembrance not only for me but also for my family. This is not a piece to mourn over, instead it is meant to keep the memory of my Father alive and feel proud about his life and accomplishments.