Grandmothers of America

In 2017 photographer Joey Schultz was asked a question - "What would be the most powerful photograph that you could take?” His answer was images of his grandmothers. That was the spark that lit the fire on the idea of photographing grandmothers all over the country and how powerful a collection that would be. He brought this idea to fellow photographer John Hanson over breakfast one day in Los Angeles and he agreed that this was an important and relevant concept. Noticing how our current culture’s idea of “beauty” rarely if ever included grandmothers, Schultz and Hanson felt this project had the potential to help shift our cultural norms toward honoring the beauty and wisdom of our grandmothers.

Over a span of five years, exercising improvisation and continual leaps of faith, Schultz and Hanson traveled the country, state by state and photographed over 260 grandmothers that they met through random exploration. To every grandmother, they ask the same question: “What advice would you give your younger self?”
Simultaneously a cultural study of America, a spirited and cathartic adventure, and a tribute to matriarchal wisdom (and humor!) - this project, shot entirely on medium format film, is a photographic archive of grandmothers throughout the entirety of the United States. By connecting with these grandmothers through openness and curiosity, Schultz and Hanson have created a collection of portraits, advice and conversations that paint a diverse and powerfully authentic vision of the U.S. today.