Filling in the Gaps

In Filling in the Gaps, artist Marcus Gustafsson delves into the deeply personal and complex story of his father’s alcoholism, exploring its impact on himself, his family, and even his father. This project is a symbol of Marcus attempting to reconcile fragmented memories—his own and those of others—to better understand the circumstances that shaped his life and relationships. At its heart, the work is also an attempt at healing, where Marcus seeks to rebuild a connection with his divided family. He reflects: “We still call each other father, son, and brother, but it has been a very long time since those titles held meaning. What we’ve been through has pushed us away from one another, and to some extent, from ourselves. It’s been a necessity for survival.” The project confronts the dualities of growing up with an alcoholic parent: the struggle to break free while remaining tethered to a shared history, the chaos of a fractured family, and the void left when the family’s unifying figure passes away. Filling in the Gaps examines how addiction alters the inner workings of familial relationships, leaving lasting marks and challenging the possibility of ever moving forward. Marcus utilises photography as his primary medium, combining original imagery of his family with archival photographs from the families photo albums. The archival family images are physically manipulated through painting, taping, and drawing. The artist’s manipulation of the photos transforms them into both intimate acts of reclamation and sites of inquiry. Through his childlike, gestural approach, Marcus symbolically reclaims memories that originally belonged to others, infusing them with his own voice and agency. The process reflects a vulnerable yet powerful reimagining of his family’s shared history, filtered through the lens of his own experience. Filling in the Gaps is an emotionally charged exploration of trauma, memory, and reconciliation, underscoring how process and diving into memories of a troubled past can serve as a means of understanding, and making peace with the story.