Time, memory, identity, surrealism, and mental health are the fundamental elements throughout my body of work.
The Implicit Memories You Left is a creative visual representation of my experience with dissociation, memory, and identity in the face of trauma. While The Implicit Memories You Left is only a vignette of my experience with trauma, the audience is invited into a surreal moment of my interpretation of processing past experiences.
My narrative work is infused with several experimental elements. Throughout The Implicit Memories You Left, the subject is displayed without a face. This is essential when communicating the loss of identity when faced with trauma. Passing through the absent face is an alternative photography process known as chemigrams. I utilize chemigrams as an essential component in this series to act as a personification of past experiences and memories.
When viewing this series, the audience will watch a loop of the chemigrams passing through the absent face. While viewing, the audience members are open to interpreting through the body language of the subject and the chemigrams for their perceived meaning. Having this series displayed through a continuous loop is essential when showcasing how it feels to live with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Overall, I want this series to vocalize my own experience with PTSD, informing the audience visually of what PTSD can feel like, and making a connection with the audience members who have similar experiences. By creating a visual representation of my own experience with mental health struggles, I hope that the topic of mental health can become less stigmatized.