I have now completed my Top Up B.A. (Hons) Fine Art Degree Course at Hereford. This has been a very memorable part of my life, – met so many friends and learnt so much.
My work has focused on aspects of memory. My statement for the final show :
The canvases exhibited here have been painted over many times and have developed into a series of arcane visual statements, as I struggle to explain my ideas about memory and the need that most people have for reminiscence, or ‘Life Review’. I realise that nostalgia re-creates an era from the past, is selective, providing escapism but reminiscence is a rich experience, – a natural, intrinsic part of human behaviour involving reliving experiences from the past, rather than just recalling events.
I know from my work in nursing homes, that when all memory has gone, the person’s identity seems to fade away. Memory seems to serve a sense of self and its continuity; it entertains us; it shames; it pains us or brings joy. Memory can tell us our origins and offer explanations, but can also deceive. I believe that while we retain our memory, identity formation is a lifelong development, assisted by reminiscence.
