Portraits of Prevention

-2025-Ongoing- Portraits of Prevention is an anthotype photographic portrait series and communal recipe book that is centered around food and its effects on long-term health. My Papa (grandfather), Wayne Delapp, lived with Type 2 diabetes for over two decades and later developed Alzheimer’s disease. This series started with his portrait taken originally by my mother while he was cooking vegetable soup which he prepared outdoors in a large metal pot and shared generously with family, friends, and neighbors. This image led me to the anthotype process; originating in the 19th century and using plant-based dyes that react to sunlight to produce images. His portrait was printed with onion skin referencing my mother’s photograph of him and diabetes-friendly foods–a point that reflects growing research suggesting that Alzheimer’s disease may be understood as “Type 3 diabetes,” due to the brain’s impaired ability to use glucose effectively. These scientific connections reveal how daily food choices shape not only the body, but also long-term cognitive health. Each new portrait uses a diabetes-friendly food to make the paper light sensitive–the same foods taken from the collected recipe provided by portrait participants. This pairing connects image and nourishment, emphasizing the relationship between healthy food choices, intergenerational knowledge, and the prevention of chronic diseases. It honors traditions of care while fostering communal knowledge exchange, encouraging us to consider how everyday acts of nourishment can become forms of resistance against preventable disease.