Photo Cycle

Miami
@vte_diamante (Instagram) 
@VaughnE (X) 
@vaughn-edelson (LinkedIn)

Twist on Cancer: My dad was a photojournalist and a man of few, carefully considered words. He lived the mantra among old picture editors: "Words make people think. Pictures make people feel." Along with my mom and brother, I was a caregiver for my dad throughout his experience with cancer, from his diagnosis of lymphoma in 2013 until he died in 2015. I still carry his loss with me every day, but over the years, I have found meaningful outlets to transform pain into purpose. These include the annual Dolphins Cancer Challenge, my work at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and programs like Brushes With Cancer. The caregiving experience taught me several lessons: It is important to seek and acknowledge beauty in the world, whatever that looks like to you. Art (in its many forms) is a way to create meaning, foster hope and maintain some control amid the chaos. Talking about your grief and your loved one makes you vulnerable, but that vulnerability gives you an opportunity to connect deeply with others and channel your grief into connections and positive action. We can honor our loved ones and keep them present by emulating their best qualities.

Fort Thomas, Kentucky
@matteckerleart

Artist Statement: It is an absolute honor to be able to share Vaughn and her dad’s story and connection through "Photo Cycle." Through communicating with Vaughn, I learned so much about her father and his love for family and his love for photography. I also learned about Vaughn’s love for her father and her commitment to advocating for those affected by cancer in her work at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center as well as her commitment to her yearly 100-mile bike ride through the Dolphins Cancer Challenge. After our discussions, the things that stood out to me were his love for photography and her love for riding, so I created the piece by collaging his photographs together, including a self-portrait of his in the top-left corner, and screen-printing them on a series of elevated circles taking on the conical shape of a bike wheel. Personally, as an artist, I loved going through his beautiful photos and seeing the world through his eyes. I also love the idea of the wheel because a wheel moves forward. A wheel continues. To me, the wheel represents how even though Vaughn’s father, though his physical being is no longer with us, he is still very much a part of all that Vaughn is, and as long as she continues, he continues.