Recovery

In the summer of 2017, my mother and I got into a car accident that consequently changed our lives. On the way home from work, a vehicle flew through a red light and shattered the entire front of our car, knocking the entire front bumper down the street and deploying all airbags. While I walked away with minor bruises from the impact, my mother was taken to the hospital with a broken wrist and many long-term complications. One intensive surgery and countless physiotherapy appointments later, my mother not only lost one full rotation in her wrist but now battles with arthritis in her shoulder and neck due to the impact of the crash. My father – who is shown throughout the series – has been her biggest support system throughout this process and undertakes much of the day-to-day work that she is now incapable of doing.

Recovery is a photographic series I created to project the challenge of adjustment and restoration within my home. Included in the series are various images to emphasize her state of being, and her relationship with my father. This series attempts to convey the process of healing and acknowledges the difficulties of rehabilitation. Recovery is not only about the challenges we face as a family, but the healing process itself.

Bio

Jessica Rondeau is a 21-year-old student from Mississauga, Ontario, currently finishing her third year in Ryerson University’s Photography Studies program. She is interested in curating her creative vision by learning from contemporary designers and photographers and their use of light and colour. Jessica’s work consists of fashion, portrait and near-documentary photography, while applying a minimalist approach throughout her images.