Who Is Changed and Who Is Dead by Ahndraya Parlato is a 128-page hardcover published by MACK in 2021, sized at 24 x 30 cm and weighing 660 grams. The photobook intimately explores the complex and often contradictory dimensions of motherhood through a deeply personal lens. Parlato’s approach combines portraiture, domestic scenes, and sculptural elements—including photograms made from her mother’s ashes—and textual interludes to unfold layered narratives of identity, transformation, and the physical and emotional tolls of maternal experience. The sequencing includes photographic reenactments of 19th-century “hidden mother” images and portraits of her own children, presenting a balance between intimate fidelity and reflective observation.
The book’s contemplative mood emphasizes vulnerability and resilience amidst the physical and psychological changes motherhood entails. Parlato intersects political and historical contexts with personal stories, interrogating fundamental questions around parenthood, mortality, gender, and generational anxieties. This nuanced blend of image and text offers a compelling meditation on the construction of motherhood and the universality of maternal fears, making it significant for collectors interested in contemporary feminist photography and photobooks addressing familial and psychological themes. Published by MACK—a prominent publisher specializing in artist photobooks—this volume’s relatively recent release and its conceptual depth contribute to its collecting interest, although specific details regarding edition size or print run remain undisclosed.