Exhibition Statement by Jennifer Young
Throughout our lives, we all experience moments that stick with us. These moments may have affected us negatively or positively, but stay ingrained in our memories. The Autobiographical Memory System is very complex and I have always been fascinated by how it works. It is interesting to consider why we remember what we remember, what we remember, why certain memories fade away and some stay so vivid that it seems as if they happened only yesterday.
J. Kotre explores the definition and the function of the autobiographical memory in his book, White gloves: How we create ourselves through memory. He provides definitions and explanations of the autobiographical memory system. According to Kotre, memory is very intricate. He analyzes why humans remember particular events and experiences, and where these memories reside in our autobiographical system. The brain arranges memories in terms of their content. He states, “The yielding of when to what in autobiographical memory is important because it leads to memory’s real interest: the creation of meaning about the self.” According to D.E. Eber and A.G. Neal in Memory & Representation: Constructed truths & competing realities, memory and representation are meaningful and important to human life. They propose that humans are able to discover the meaning of their memories through artistic and symbolic representation, thus, gaining more knowledge about their lives and the world around them.
I reflect upon my memories and life experiences in images. My paintings stem from my autobiographical memories and each painting is based off of an emotion I have felt, a specific memory that I have, or an experience that I have been through. I find myself caught in that moment, discovering the meaning of my memories, and reflecting upon my past and what has made me into the person I am today.