Published by Hatje Cantz. Text by Ulrich Pohlmann, Andreas Steffens.
German photographer Eva Bertram observes and records the vicissitudes of childhood as they are played out in the development of her daughter, Herveva. Bertram’s images not only reflect the girl’s physical and emotional development but also the powerful relationship between a photographer and her model, even mapping a mother’s recognition of her child’s growing independence. This publication presents a selection of approximately 70 pictures, many of which show Herveva engaged in theatrical play, in costume and amid her own imaginative constructions. In one photograph Herveva dons a surgical mask and plastic stethoscope; in another she sports a jaunty hat and pink lipstick. Some are more straightforward portraits, while others capture the body in motion or record the abandoned remnants of the child’s creations. These colorful photographs bespeak both the innocence and seriousness of childhood role-playing, as play over time becomes an act of performance and self-presentation.
