As both a mother and artist, I believe some of life’s most meaningful moments come from the ability to fuse fantasy with reality. Bear Hug is part of a photographic project entitled Wonder Tales: The Imprint of Child’s Play. Celebrating the spirit of childhood, the series investigates the imaginative play of children and how play can shape our personalities. Rooted in the fertile soil of our small farm in central Ohio, the images visually weave together normal real life situations with unexpected fictional narratives my children reenact. In examining the significant discoveries that come from play, photographing common childhood fantasies and fears, I create dreamlike images which bring a renewed sense of wonder to the ordinary. Through this work, I hope to provide inspiration for viewers to reconnect with their inner child and to be reminded of these experiences, the good and bad, and how they have influenced our futures and constructed our identities.

Bridget Murphy Milligan’s artwork explores the relationship between photography and storytelling.  Working with her children, Milligan attempts to bring alive the intense imagination and fear experienced in childhood. She is the recipient of the Jacob K. Javits Fellowship from the U.S. Department of Education, two Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowships and was a finalist in Photolucida’s Critical Mass competition. Milligan is Associate Professor in the Department of Art at the College of Wooster in Ohio.  Her work has been exhibited, collected and published nationally and internationally.  To learn more, visit www.bridgetmmilligan.com.