Pictures from Home are stills culled from 8mm family movies. They are familiar images. Specific to Sultan’s life, they also possess the quality of cultural icon. They are pictures of the good life: a child running in the backyard, Mom sunbathing, Dad barbequing. Sultan was also fascinated by off moments: a momentary look of worry passing over someone’s face, caught by the camera but probably unrecognized in the moment. Speaking of the films, Sultan has said, “They were remarkable, more like a record of hopes and fantasies than of actual events. It was as if my parents had projected their dreams onto film emulsion.”

Curated by Jo-Ann Conklin
image: Winking Mom, 1984