‘Their relationship has ebbed and flowed': a father and son grow up

The Guardian

02-04-2025

Photographer Sarah Mei Herman was 20 when her half-brother Jonathan was born in 2001. When he was a small child she began to photograph him regularly alongside their father, Julian. The images in her forthcoming book Julian & Jonathan span more than 20 years and document Jonathan's visible growth from child to adult against the steadier changes in Julian and Herman's own journey as an artist, daughter and half-sister. Julian & Jonathan by Sarah Mei Herman is published by GOST. An exhibition is at Concertgebouw Brugge, Belgium, 10 May to 31 August
Sarah Mei Herman: 'This photo was taken during our first trip to my father's home country, South Africa, with the three of us. We were staying in a small apartment by the beach, and I captured this moment early in the morning, around 7am, just after we had all woken up. The morning sunlight was pouring in, and because it was so bright, they both kept their eyes closed. This remains one of my favourite early images – I can still remember this moment between the three of us so vividly'
'For me, this is a very important photograph in the series, as it was the moment I realised I wanted to keep photographing them. I took this photo outside a small holiday home where we were staying for the weekend. I love Julian and Jonathan's hands in this image – how Jonathan's hand is wrapped around my father's thumb, his other hand clenched into a fist while he bites the hood of his light blue bathrobe. Jonathan's stiff posture, next to Julian's somewhat resigned pose, continues to fascinate me'
Having grown up as an only child fantasising about having a sibling, when Jonathan did arrive Herman was already an adult. Making portraits was one of the few ways she felt she could connect with Jonathan. The ritual of photographing her half-brother, often alongside their father, began when Jonathan was just four years old and allowed Herman ways to consider the potential meanings of family intimacy. Jonathan would usually agree to be photographed, sometimes even taking pride in the project. At other times his resistance is evident
'The old brown leather swivel chair in this photo belonged to my father. He had it for as long as I can remember. As a young girl, I spent a lot of time in this chair, either alone or with my father'
'To me, the chair is a metaphor for his body. A few years ago, he got rid of it because it was falling apart. I still miss seeing it in the living room when I visit him. This photograph of Jonathan sitting in the swivel chair in the snowy garden was the result of a small collaboration between us. I asked Jonathan where he would like to be photographed, and he told me he wanted to sit in the chair in the garden. We carried it outside together so I could take this picture'
'With each photographic session, I attempt to get closer to him, to establish connection, to understand his inner world; at times, the resistance I'm met with only fuels my intrigue to know more. The project is as much about me and my family as it is about their separate universe'
'This is one of the most intimate photographs I've taken of my father and half-brother together. The subtle gesture of my father's hand on Jonathan's leg represents his fatherly care. Hands often play a significant role in my photographs – either as a point of connection or when they are tucked away. In this image, Julian and Jonathan's hands are especially important: I love the way they're placed and connected'
'I took this portrait in my father's bedroom, standing outside on the small balcony with my camera on a tripod to create some distance. I'm always fascinated by the way bodies touch. Jonathan was 12 years old here and had just gone through a radical physical transformation. I love the dynamics between him and my father – my father, on the left, slightly slumped over, while Jonathan sits up straight, leaning against him, gently pressing his shoulder into his arm' Photograph: Sarah Mei Herman
'I'm interested in the triangulation between us; the changing proximity and distance we share, and the peculiar feeling of looking in on a world to which I don't fully belong. Over the years, the dynamic between them – and us – has ebbed and flowed. Sometimes they were close, and at other times they were further removed from one another'
'Jonathan was 15 years old here, and by then, his relationship with Julian had shifted and changed significantly. He was distancing himself from his father, and it became increasingly difficult to get close to him. It felt as though he was building a wall around himself. When I took this photograph, I wasn't consciously aware of the traces in the sand around Jonathan's feet. But when I saw the image later, they seemed to resemble a mental wall made visible'
'It's as if they are photographed in a separate universe that runs parallel to the many demands of 'ordinary' life. In this tranquil space, I'm able to capture a sense of stillness, silence and proximity in my images. I'm interested in what might arise between the sitter and I. I don't tend to see my works as reflections of reality, but rather as captured moments of intimacy. These moments were created through a collaborative process that depends heavily on the trust between the different parties involved'
'I took this photo of Jonathan just a few weeks before his 19th birthday. He had lost his mother to cancer a few months earlier and was going through an incredibly dark and difficult period. Despite everything, he agreed to be photographed that day. I remember him being intensely withdrawn, his skin paler than ever before. To me, the 'closedness' of this photograph strongly reflects his state of being'
'They have both dealt with the hardship of loss and its many painful consequences. My images of Jonathan throughout his youth, whether alone or with our father, chronicle these shifts and turns' Photograph: Sarah Mei Herman
'I took this photograph of my father during a recent trip to South Africa we took together. He was about to take a nap, but he's so used to me and my camera that it never seems to bother him. For this shot, I stood on the bed right next to him. I love the creases in his T-shirt, the sheets, and the pillow, and the way the sunlight gently covers his chest and part of his hands. My father is getting older, and his physical health is deteriorating, but in this photograph, he feels calm and strong to me'