Text and images used by permission.
Eleven
This is Dek Unu Magazine. In Esperanto, dek unu means "eleven." Eleven images from a single artist. Eleven artists in eleven solo issues in each publication year. Dek Unu publishes the work of a new artist-photographer in each issue. The artist's work and words are featured in individual focus as the sole purpose for each issue of the magazine. Unlike other arts and letters magazines which might look for work from a variety of artists to support an editorial staff's theme, at Dek Unu, theme and imagery are always each artist's own.
As seen by some of its earliest practitioners, the defining task of “documentary” photography was recording the facts, creating images as anthropological or courtroom exhibits, reporting each scene in as deadpan a way as possible, without artistic intention. For contemporary practitioners, though, the definition has changed to include new threads, among them: social commentary, activism, the ironies of the street, urbex, and disappearing history, This month’s featured artist shows that documentary-style photography also works beautifully as autobiographical, highly-emotional storytelling,
Marthanna Yater’s project, Growing Together, delves into the lives of twin sisters, exploring family dynamics, contrasts, and the essence of the human experience. It also serves as a very personal report from a photographer who discovers the power of defining family on her own terms. The documentary is a decades-long chronicle of the sisters' evolution from childhood to adulthood, from kidstuff to motherhood and diverse creative careers. But in capturing their journey, Marthanna Yater not only documents their lives but also embarks on a transformative exploration of her own identity both as an artist and as a rather unique member of a family made by choice not genetics.
