studio
46/60 - 60/90
decades before me
about me
cv
© Samantha Molinelli, 2025
decades before me
Two years ago, I discovered my uncle’s collection of 35mm slides, capturing moments of my father’s side of the family in New York City during the 1970s and 80s. I’ve always been fascinated by stories my family had told me about their time living in the city, but being able to actually see some of these moments made all those stories much more real. This discovery became the foundation for decades before me—a visual dialogue between my own film photography and my uncle’s slide images.
The shared experience of both of us living in the same city in our twenties became a compelling connection, sparking my desire to explore the interplay of our perspectives across time. This project centers on the very essence of time, its passage and its influence on our connections. I aim to resonate with viewers who feel deep nostalgia with finding peace in imagery that evokes another era. Generational differences can become quite apparent, but a sense of cohesion can still be found. I believe that in reflecting on the past, we can uncover common threads that unite us, fostering deeper understandings and a sense of closeness. How time stills certain things, but not others.
With my contemporary C-Type images of my friends and family, I seek to blur the boundaries between past and present. My goal is for our work to coexist seamlessly, encouraging viewers to reflect on time’s fluidity and question which photographs belong to which era.