A young child sitting on Santa Claus's lap in a decorated Christmas setting with Christmas trees and gold tinsel in the background.

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 2003

This portrait series surrounding memories of her own childhood emerged during Mourning's formative period at Art Center College of Design's photography program in Los Angeles.

Working with a 4 x 5 film camera, Mourning engaged with the then-ascendant theoretical framework of 'constructed narrative' photography. This methodological approach—pioneered and subsequently canonized by seminal practitioners such as Jeff Wall, Gregory Crewdson and Tina Barney—represented a significant shift in lens-based artistic practice. These figures served as crucial intellectual touchstones for Mourning, who leveraged their conceptual foundations to interrogate and ultimately expand the boundaries of photography as a narrative medium.

A child sits on a beige carpeted floor inside a bedroom, surrounded by scattered toys, with a bed and dresser in the background, and sunlight coming through a window.
A young boy with glasses lying on the carpet with his hands behind his head, looking up. Two other children are standing near a dresser, partially visible in the background. The room has tan carpet, a wooden bed, and an off-white dresser.
A young boy sitting at a large wooden dining table, eating ice cream with a spoon. The table has a bowl of fruit and a glass of milk. The room has vintage decor with wallpaper, a chandelier, and candelabras.
A woman sitting on a patterned armchair in a vintage-style room, illuminated by a tall floor lamp. The room has floral wallpaper, wooden furniture, and framed pictures on a side table.
A young girl with shoulder-length brown hair stands near a wall, wearing a strapless light-colored dress with floral embellishments. She has a neutral expression and is inside a warmly lit room with patterned wallpaper and a decorated table with a wh
A young boy in an orange T-shirt and white shorts lying on his stomach on green grass in a garden, with a serious expression, surrounded by flowers and trees in the background.
A young girl with brown hair sitting on an ornate pink upholstered armchair, wearing a white dress with small patterns, in a room with beige wallpaper, near a window with white shutters.
A young girl in a white dress roller-skating while bending over, near a beige car parked outdoors, with a wooden and brick structure and green foliage in the background.
A young boy with light brown hair tilting his head back with eyes closed outdoors on dirt ground.