Artist Statement
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Several years ago, I went on a run. Typically, I only stop to cross the street or to tie my shoes.
However as I passed a woman on the sidewalk, I halted. I whipped around and watched her walk away from me.
She wore my mother's perfume.
Although it had been several years since my mother had donned her signature scent, I immediately remembered standing in the foyer of my house, waiting in my coat as my mother rushed down the stairs and rummaged through things on the counter to grab her keys-- her perfume billowing throughout the lower floor of the house.
In the early 20th century, a French novelist Marcel Proust had a revelation about madeleines and memory similar to my experience with my mother's perfume
He wrote that the right proportion of butter, sugar, and flour could trigger childhood memories that were unique to him.
While he lacked the scientific understanding of memory formation, his hypothesis that items of importance were connected to memory was revolutionary for his time.
But what good are these associations and memories if they live only in our mind?
In the novella, The Little Prince, a prince travels the galaxy and eventually comes across a field of roses on Earth.
He is dismayed to realize his single rose on his asteroid was not the only one.
However, his rose was unique because she was the object of the prince's love and time.
As a result, she was more precious than all of the others.
Throughout my project, I explore the idea of associative memory through stories and art.
Our lives are made unique by the relationships and events that mold us into our future selves. Rather than focusing on the insignificance of our single story amongst trillions of others on Earth, I aim to celebrate the stories that hold significance to the storyteller.
Similar to Proust's madeleine or the Prince's rose, the paintings in this exhibit are intended to symbolize the stories and relationships they accompany.
It is important to recognize that I am an outsider to these stories; my artistic interpretation pales to the vibrancy, truth, and dimension of the stories they accompany. Despite this, my work provides a glimpse into the richness of the lives they illustrate.
As you explore my online exhibit, I ask that you reflect the relationships and stories that are dear to you. What associations have the power to trigger your own stories? How has the time you have spent with these memories added to the richness of your life?
Enjoy,
Overview
For my project, I interviewed folks about memories that they had with a grandparent or grandparent-like figure. Though this was a common experience, the relationships with these figures had variability, allowing me to capture a range of stories.
I focused on associations based off of taste or smell. Because the areas of the brain that are associated with smelling are so close to the sections responsible for memory retention, it is considered the strongest and quickest memory inducer.
What we eat is curated by our society, preferences, and our family's traditional dishes. I included taste because I believe that our relationship with food is a unique section of our identity and is often a part of the relationships and memories we make with others.
After narrowing down subjects, I wrote and edited the zoom transcript of each interview for flow and readability. I obtained consent of my subjects to use their story and make alterations to names when needed.
The resulting story was then paired with a painting depicting the specific association referred to in the story. All paintings are gouache on illustration board
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