Anna Beat 2014

Barbara Davatz has photographed pairs—lovers, friends, siblings, or parents—over a period of more than 30 years. The inspiration for As Time Goes By goes back to the early 1980s, when the photographer met an androgynous couple named Nicola and Kurt. Davatz went on to make portraits of 12 couples, and then repeatedly photographed them over intervals of several years. During that time span some couples separated, some moved on to other relationships, and some established families. This long-term project takes an extended look at the diversity of the subjects and at their self-presentation in front of the camera. Davatz’s rigorous formal language serves to underline the subtle changes wrought by time, and the same neutral grey background provides a foil to faces and clothes, revealing nuances within each person’s identity.