Time to Play - Marie Craig
In the absence of regular routines, with the adults in their lives stretched thin and preoccupied, all of a sudden, children have a new abundance of free time. They have time to explore nature, invent games, be bored. With limited resources, little company, left to their own devices, they amuse themselves in unscripted play and allow their imaginations to run wild.
Play is a survival mechanism for kids; it’s what they do, how they learn. Imaginative play is the way children process new information, gain independence, practice creative problem solving and navigate interpersonal relationships.
At each stage of childhood, the impact of this time is profound. From infants who have no contact with others outside their immediate families to teens who have lost all-important peer connections, these photographs allow us a glimpse into the experience of children during this unique moment of time. They capture nuance and complexity, poignance and humor, and above all, resilience.
Marie Craig’s photographs explore the overlap between concrete bodies, or still moments, and the life instilled in them. Her photographs capture places of formative choice, incorporating both crystallization – intention and opportunity – chance, the unpredictable life to follow. “Natural Consequences”, her most recent body of work, is a series of large, transparent cyanotypes that evoke ambiguity and are a reminder of nature’s resilience as well as the urgent concern for its equilibrium.
Craig began her career as a medical photographer and illustrator after graduating from Clark University, MA with a Master’s degree in Biology. She later shifted her role to become a teacher, curator, and photographer, all in the fine art community. Craig has shown her work in numerous solo and group exhibitions in New England and beyond. She is the co-founder and director of Fountain Street, a contemporary gallery in Boston, MA.