david’s footprint
chance deville


Due to a physically and mentally abusive relationship, my mother was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Neglecting psychiatric help, she turned to drugs and alcohol to suppress the disease. As a result of these changes in behavior and lifestyle, our relationship and power dynamic as mother and son changed drastically. “David’s Footprint” is an investigation of my Mother and I’s dynamic and how photographing her enhances or damages our relationship. In some instances, I allow her to take a self-portrait or direct the photograph, rearranging roles and power dynamics again. Furthermore, I'm documenting how schizophrenia and addiction have become a catalyst for my mother’s sporadic behavior.

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Chance DeVille is a photographer from Louisiana currently residing in Providence, Rhode Island. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Photography from McNeese State University in 2017. His work currently investigates themes of family, home, and mental illness associated within these structures. Chance has exhibited widely across the United States and was named one of the VSA Emerging Young Artists in 2018 which includes participation in a 2-year traveling exhibition currently touring the states. He is in the process of earning his MFA in Photography at Rhode Island School of Design.