Kitchen Table Reimagined is a project focusing on the relationships and activities that take place around my kitchen table. The table is at the center of all family gatherings and dinners and, on most days, we sit at the table for more than an hour just talking. Motivation for this project came from the original Kitchen Table Series created by Carrie Mae Weems. During this project she creates fabricated scenes of a woman’s life at her table. My idea for this series came when my family had some friends over, and we sat at the table talking with them from 9-12 at night. During this time, I realized the amount my family spends at the table talking, eating, doing homework, watching tv and many other activities. This is where we talk about our day or call my sister who is living abroad for university, it is a place where we all naturally gravitate to if we feel like talking. My family has had the same table since we moved into the house in 1998 and over the years, we have built some of our best memories around it.
The kitchen table is not just a place where families gather to eat but where members of the family reconnect, talk and gather. To many, the kitchen table is the heart of the family, the center of all activity. The psychology around the importance of the table is simple, “In this day of busy lives, extra-curricular activities for the children and electronics, families don’t spend a great deal of time in close proximity to each other. The table works to bring families back into a comfortable distance for actually sharing a conversation” Families look back at all the happy, sad, angry or scared moments of their lives and many of these occur around the kitchen table. From birthday parties to receiving the news of a loved one’s passing, the table is a constant presence. What may seem to be a simple piece of furniture is actually one many hold near and dear to them, it is the center of family culture.
