Mnemonic Amalgamation
Installation held at Grunwald Gallery of Art, 2012
If memories could be preserved and contained, there would be no purpose in the souvenirs we currently use to embody them. The nearest success we have in capturing moments is the photo album. Relics from relationships and family heirlooms are simply mundane objects with memories of an idealized past projected onto them. These items become a representation of the intangible as they take on a physical form of nostalgia. I find the importance that objects gain by their preservation and location to be captivating. Through collection and containment, the ordinary creates a chronicle of passed time.
Accumulation, as a way to gain an understanding and preserve information, has increased my interest in collections. When viewing a collection, memories and histories are generated by the time, location, and topics of the items they contain. Through constructed realities we are distanced from actual truth. When objects are taken from their original context and placed opposite of other elements, unnatural juxtapositions are formed, creating entirely new interpretations.
Mnemonic Amalgamation is an exploration of the similarities that exist between the attempted preservation of personal memory and the gathering of information for collections. I am using a pseudo cabinet of curiosity as an allegory of my mental space. The specimens symbolize personal thoughts and moments of my past, while the mode of collecting represents my attempt to contain and control these “memories” before they fade. By constructing my own specimens, I am questioning the authenticity and authority within scholarly collections as well as the validity of memory recollection.
Using multiple forms of media, I am creating a more natural experience of observing and organizing a personal collection. These creatures, no longer touched by time, are held captive in the perfect static state; a permanent and controlled suspension; they exist beyond time and therefore beyond loss.
Accumulation, as a way to gain an understanding and preserve information, has increased my interest in collections. When viewing a collection, memories and histories are generated by the time, location, and topics of the items they contain. Through constructed realities we are distanced from actual truth. When objects are taken from their original context and placed opposite of other elements, unnatural juxtapositions are formed, creating entirely new interpretations.
Mnemonic Amalgamation is an exploration of the similarities that exist between the attempted preservation of personal memory and the gathering of information for collections. I am using a pseudo cabinet of curiosity as an allegory of my mental space. The specimens symbolize personal thoughts and moments of my past, while the mode of collecting represents my attempt to contain and control these “memories” before they fade. By constructing my own specimens, I am questioning the authenticity and authority within scholarly collections as well as the validity of memory recollection.
Using multiple forms of media, I am creating a more natural experience of observing and organizing a personal collection. These creatures, no longer touched by time, are held captive in the perfect static state; a permanent and controlled suspension; they exist beyond time and therefore beyond loss.
