During a reunion with my father in Prague, just before his 70th birthday, I asked him what he might like for a present, to which he answered, “Make me younger!” Thinking about how I might do this, the idea of a slide-collage self-portrait came to mind, which I immediately began working on. This first portrait from 2000 (scroll to bottom) became the inspiration for other portraits of family and close friends, partners and companions, which document relationships of an intimate nature. The staples gained particular significance, expressing the kind of intense bond which only grows from tempered, sometimes even painful experiences.