"Memento." Nine panel piece housed in a folio. Inkjet printing, letterpress printing, and trace monotypes. 3.5" x 4.25" each. 2015.
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Recollection I am fascinated by the idea that memories are inaccurate representations of a past reality built through exaggerated stories, misinformation, and flawed recollection. I am particularly interested in the alteration of reality within our memories and its effect on self-image. Our misremembering often results in the glorification of nostalgia and the idealization of a version of ourselves that never existed.
Much of my work utilizes pixelated imagery derived from photographs of childhood. These images and forms serve to express the lack of clarity in recollection through time. The use of text in my work often references the transference of memory through stories and language. Text taken from obituaries—most often the last writings about someone’s life and identity—reveal how that person will be remembered. They epitomize the glorification of the past and serve to immortalize the ideal. I find them particularly interesting because many use similar language regardless of the individual. This repetition brings up questions of the clarity and accuracy of reminiscence. The kaleidoscopic ornamentation derived from patterns also adorns much of my work, fading in and out of the foreground, becoming a veiling in some instances and slipping out of sight in others. The kaleidoscope’s use of light to interpret the shards within it reinforces the fragmentation of our memories but also connects to the idea of seeing someone in a better light, as we may see them through our idealizations. |
