Residue 2019

 

Residue focuses on autobiographical memory, specifically childhood amnesia. The work revolves around my own childhood memories and connection to personal items consisting of an item of clothing made for me by my mother, a childhood diary, and a tree planted by my mother when I was born. This tree was cut down by the new owner of the property after we moved fourteen years ago. The loss of this tree symbolises the loss of my own childhood memories.  

 

The general context of the body of work, is focused on the loss of early childhood memories, and the fragments of memories that still remains. When you look at this body of work consider these questions, “what is the earliest thing you can remember?” and “How old were you?” Childhood amnesia is a common occurrence, because most adults seldom remember their earliest years.

 

The techniques and processes I chose reflects the actual process of memory, which involves encoding, storage and retrieval. Through the process of transferring visual information from one source to another I try to mimic these complex brain processes. Uncovering of memories that were once forgotten is accentuated through the process of removing paper from the transferred visuals, and revealing the

left-over residue on the fabric.

 

The work forms an installation piece, consisting of fragments of tree, collected from surrogate trees. These pieces are adjusted and reworked in various ways to incorporate some of the residue of my childhood memories. Together these form the suggestion of a kind of forest of memories.

 

The decision to work with pieces of tree firstly relates back to the idea of my own tree that was cut down. Secondly the pieces of tree bark and the slices of tree both refer to the fragility of life and memory, and the missing core, to the earliest years, the childhood amnesia years.  The suggestion to the metaphorical relationship between the year rings of the tree, to the years of a person. Underneath these hanging year rings, piles of sawdust refers to the fragmented core, and the forgotten memories. 

 

Wall pieces include, fragile fragments of bark containing residues of memories, focused on specific memories from times spent with the tree as a metaphor for all my childhood memories. And macro photographs of these fragments, emphasising the peeling off of the outside bark, and disintegration of the core.

 

Although the work may appear to be very personal, I hope to evoke the viewer’s own memories through this installation.