On Seeing, A Journal. #377
The “Growing Up” of Olivia Grace Kim
July 7, 2020
4 years and 27 years
5 days old
I have studied over 200 children from childhood into their 20’s. I began with some when their mothers were pregnant; others started about the time they could read and write. For all of them I made annual studio portraits and asked them to write answers to a series of questions, a kind of diary about their lives, their feelings, their hopes, their regrets.
My exploration, a major 30 year odyssey, has been an adventure that has yielded riches beyond my imagining.
4 years old
10 years old
11 years old
15 years old
16 years old
20 years old
21 years old
27 years old
Father (with mom) holds her at 5 days old
With dad at 27 years old
This beautiful person graced the cover of my book, “Newborn” published in 1996.
During her “newborn” photoshoot, she was very unhappy when not touched or held. This informed the cover photograph.
I am interested in everything about human development. I am fascinated by maturation, growth, emotional, educational and physical development.
Permission was signed by the parents of each and every child every year, and by the participants themselves once they turned 18. In addition, we have now sent copies of all of their writings and edited photographs to the participants for whom I have finished all my editing and have received full permission from that group to publish and post. A few chose to use pseudonyms.