Over the last ten years, without any real intention, I have been making pictures of someone very close to me, but it wasnâ??t until recently that I disclosed that the photographs I have been making of the young man with cerebral palsy are of my twin brother Nick. I have always felt that it may come across as trite to explain that the pictures have helped me to deal with his condition and with the differences between us. But in sharing who he is and in sharing our experiences, I have seen first hand the art of suffering. It unites people in ways that other aspects of life do not. When I meet someone who has a sibling that is sick or down on their luck, I hear the ache in their voice as they tell me their stories and express the guilt they feel as they watch the ones they love suffer. Then, almost always, they ask how Nick is doing. This is the art of the ache. It brings solidarity. It unites us, and it makes us care for others.
As Nickâ??s brain surgery was completed earlier last year, and as our family held out hope for the first time that things would change for Nick, we now wait to see how things will change for him as the doctors continue to treat him over the coming year.
Christopher Capozziello (born 1980) is a freelance photographer and a founding member
of AEVUM. His work focuses on documenting both life around him, and stories that are outside his own experiences. He believes that photography can take unpleasant realities and make them beautiful, not by misleading anyone, but by allowing the viewer to stop and take a deeper look at the subject.
Christopher currently lives in Hamden, Connecticut, where he accepts assignments and works on long-term personal projects.
