What’s important?
In the artworld we are always looking at “important” images that have the potential to change the way we look at the world—a world that now, more than ever, is image-driven. We can follow the narrative of our lives by scrolling through our camera roll; our smartphones store our experiences. Living fully in the moment is, however, often at odds with documenting it. “The Bomb Family,” as a concept and as a living entity, reconciles this dichotomy.
Meet Christy, Nick, Primrose, and Clementine, for whom life imitates art and art imitates life in a constant, vibrant loop. Coordinated outfits on point; strike a pose; Disney romance; Hello Kitty; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; effervescence with glitter on top; “Snap. Sparkle. Pop!”
The Bomb Family lives at the intersection of tradition, documentation, performance, popular culture, and voyeurism. It inhabits the “real” world, but it thrives in the digital space. It produces bite-sized memories that taste like rainbows. It is “the moment” becoming instant nostalgia.
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Before being a gallerist, Frank Maresca built a career as a fashion and beauty photographer and had a long personal history of collecting photography—particularly vernacular photography. In 2008, he donated his collection to the Newark Museum (read the New York Times article here), which mounted a major exhibition: “Now Is Then: Snapshots From the Maresca Collection,” with an eponymous book published by Princeton Architectural Press.
“A great vernacular photo,” says Maresca, “is one that is as good as an image that a professional photographer hopes to spontaneously capture: the loosely planned ‘happy accident.’ I’ve been following Christy and Nick over several years and have been fascinated by their images, which are the antithesis of my family and my childhood. It finally occurred to me, on this iconic holiday (love it or hate it), to share their vision with our audience.”
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"I was born and raised in the South, in a place called Louisville, Kentucky. The middle daughter to Korean American immigrants ... My parents yearned for us to have a better life than they did, which was devoid of fun. They were frugal, and photos were considered frivolous in nature. Clothing was strictly utilitarian with a focus solely on function, and never on style."
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"I have always loved to make the world beautiful around me ... This is similar to how I approach photos of my family today. Inspired by a color, vibe, or even just a feeling, I first visualize how I want us to be presented, gather the materials mentally before I execute the plan in reality. It helps that I have a photographic memory of our wardrobe, and am notorious for hoarding items for future 'just-in-case' moments. I hope that one day the girls will look back on our photos and smile."
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"Nick and I met in 2009, and I knew instantly that we would be married someday ... He is my opposite in every sense of the word, which excited me. A statuesque 6’3” man of German descent, with blonde, fluffy hair, blue eyes and an icy gaze ... we traveled the world before having our first human baby in 2019 with the help of modern science ... we welcomed our first daughter Primrose in 2019, followed by Clementine two years later"
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"As an artist I am Christybomb, the Glitter Queen, known for my colorful, bright and bold, kaleidoscopic works using non-traditional materials ... I graduated from the University of North Florida with a Bachelor's Degree in Biology and a Minor in Public Health, and worked as a research scientist in a high-level virology laboratory for five years ... At age 31, after living in Japan and surviving the Great Tsunami of 2011, with subsequent nuclear fallout, I decided to pursue my lifelong dream of becoming an artist."
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"'The Bomb Family' is an expression of the duality of being the family matriarch but also a working artist. This synergy between the physical and conceptual brings 'The Bomb Family' to my highest level of work, but is also a life’s work in perpetuity. My goal has always been the same since I was that little girl in Kentucky: to elevate—whether it be 'Christybombing' a readymade object, or capturing an idle family Tuesday dinner… I always try to make the ordinary extraordinary."
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"The first step in the photo process of capturing 'The Bomb Family' starts with a theme. It doesn’t matter if we are getting groceries or going to the Metropolitan Opera, 99% of the time there will always be a theme ... Arriving to the venue puts me in game mode, doing my best scanning the area, then corralling two headstrong children and a camera-shy husband in front of the camera…even just for second. Then, and only then, can I exhale, relax, and be present in the moment."
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The Book
A labor of love
