Sarah Mei Herman: Parallel Universe
Photographer Sarah Mei Herman’s book “Julian & Jonathan” gathers over two decades of intimate portraits of her half-brother and their father, tracing a delicate relationship that drifts between closeness and distance.
What began as a way to connect with her much younger sibling became a meditative study of emotional proximity. Jonathan, at times open and at others resistant, appears alone or with their father, both men marked by shared experiences of loss. Sarah Mei Herman captures the silent weight between them, and with her behind the camera.
Julian and Jonathan, February 2013 © Sarah Mei Herman
Jonathan, April 2010 © Sarah Mei Herman
Oma Belle, Julian, Jonathan and me, South Africa 2005 © Sarah Mei Herman
Shot on medium format film, the images need space for time and introspection:“‘It’s as if they are photographed in a separate universe that runs parallel to the many demands of ‘ordinary’ life.” A photograph of Sarah Mei Herman and her grandmother opens the book, connecting different generations in a family narrative that begins with an ending.
Jonathan, September 2009 © Sarah Mei Herman
Julian and Jonathan, February 2017 © Sarah Mei Herman
Jonathan and Julian, South Africa 2005 © Sarah Mei Herman
The book “Julian & Jonathan” is published by GOST and available at the price of 62$.
