Photographers working on issues of memory

<p>Hi all,</p>

<p>I am trying to find photographers who have done work relating to memory. More specifically those who have produced work that may relate to how we remember things, how memories impact us, how memories can differ from an actual event. A quick search around has not revealed anything useful so far.<br>

In my work, I tend to create images that reference how I remember things. As my memory is not always asa good as it could be, I incorporate aspects of blur and colour change into my work to symbolilse how memory can degrade over time. I wanted to try and find some other artists (contemporary and historical) who may have worked with similar ideas.<br>

Any thoughts?<br>

Cheers!<br>

DavidM</p>

<p>Hi David...very interesting topic. I was going to reply with something that came to mind..but seem to have forgotten what I was going to say <grin>. cheers.</p>

<p>Same here. Can't remember damned thing ...</p>

<p>I do know this, when I get home and review my day's shooting I have already forgotten half the stuff I did and half the places I went. So, photography performs a very important function for me. I find it hard to believe that people will travel the world and not keep a visual record.</p>

<p>More than 2,000 photographs per second are generated in the US alone. The huge majority are nothing more than mnemonic fetishes. Oliver Wendell Holmes called the Daguerreotypes <em>"mirrors of memory".</em></p>

<p>There are countless photo studios with the M-word in them, like Memory Catchers, Memory Lane, Memory Keepers, Memory Jourmalist, etc.</p>

<p>All documentary artists are working at least partially, with memory. Many artists, too. Sally Mann, Cartier Bresson, and many others come to mind. They may not have been working on the theme exactly as you are, but definitely mentioned it in their sayings or writings. It's a part of photography, writing, painting, sculpture, and other arts.</p>

<p>Photography is different from memory. How many times have we flipped through a family album and found someone we could no longer name? Or where the picture was taken? A photograph does not forget or remember, and selective forgetting is one of the keys to memory.</p>

<p>Closer to home, some of PN member (and regular on PoP) Arthur Plumpton's IR photographs have that hazy, dreamy somewhat dislocated quality of memories.</p>

<p> </p>

<blockquote>

<p> I incorporate aspects of blur and colour change into my work to symbolilse how memory can degrade over time. I wanted to try and find some other artists (contemporary and historical) who may have worked with similar ideas.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>The work of Belgian photographer Dirk Braeckman comes to mind, examples :<br>

<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ORgy5r0ZcSU/SfBcUGuHf5I/AAAAAAAADUY/2UE4x02Fidc/s800/dirk+braeckman+001.jpeg">one</a><br>

<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ORgy5r0ZcSU/SfBcUHNsLNI/AAAAAAAADUQ/O9tLOoN5W48/s800/dirk+braeckman+002.jpeg">two</a><br>

<a href="http://tiesgoos.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/dirk-braeckman-2.jpg">three</a><br>

<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZJrMjfD3gt8/ScteRvMEStI/AAAAAAAAAOY/A7uC6n9p6YA/s400/L.S.-A.N.-00.jpg">four</a><br>

<a href="http://www.zeno-x.com/artists/dirk_braeckman.htm">http://www.zeno-x.com/artists/dirk_braeckman.htm</a></p>

<p>Hello David,<br>

parts of the work of Duane Michals deals with issues of memory and photography. Michals combines photos with text.<br>

Here's just one example, but you might want to look for others.<br>

<a href="http://www.shanelavalette.com/journal/2007/12/14/duane-michals-this-photograph-is-my-proof/">http://www.shanelavalette.com/journal/2007/12/14/duane-michals-this-photograph-is-my-proof/</a></p>

<p>As a related aside, think of what's going to happen to family memories when virtually every P&S camera that's sold comes with a "button" to make the sky in every vacation snap perfectly blue, another "button" that constrains the camera to only take a photo when everyone is smiling, another "button" that will allow the user to delete an individual and replace the person with a background generated using an advanced content-aware fill algorithm, etc.</p>

<p>Tom M</p>

<p> </p>

<p>David, if I understood your post correctly, it's an interesting question and would make an excellent dissertation topic.</p>

<p>To share a personal experience, I video taped and photographed a friend's birthday roast which lasted about an hour. This was two years ago. Viewing the pictures brought back memories at an emotional level where the moments were expanded to give an overall feeling of joy I experienced that day.</p>

<p>Viewing the video, however, was an experience that allowed me to relive the entire day beyond simple recollections. The moment to moment playback didn't allow much interpretation; it was exactly what happened. </p>

<p>My conclusion was that photography can be more accurately described as snippets of clues that facilitates synapses to form for our memory to resurface. The more clues we have, the more accurate the memory (if that's the goal) up to the level of video which allows memories to completely reform. </p>

 

<p>Missa Coffman (<a href="http://www.missacoffman.com">missacoffman.com</a>) has done something like that, retroactively documenting parts of her life, real and imagined. She does this on Polaroids, which give a sense of legitimacy-- and of immediacy-- that are difficult to duplicate with other means.</p>

<p>Wow, such a lot of helpful responses. Thank you all for the information. I shoot primarily with a Lensbaby these days, and I find that the effect that it gives me is largely similar to my memories. At the moment I found myself very drawn to Keith Carter and his work, which captures a lot of what I am trying to work on. I'll certainly be checking out all the others listed here too. <br>

Thanks all!<br>

DavidM</p>