“We are the sum total of our experiences….” – B.J. Neblett
A little work-in-progress dedicated to all the irreplaceable people in my life, whether they crept in, dug a hole into me or clung on to me.
Memorandum – “something to be brought to mind”
This piece is made up of the people who have influenced me as well as all the things that, I believe, have made me who I am today. Each “item” that fills up the word “memorandum” holds a special meaning to me, whether it be my parents or grandparents, or high school friends, or those that I have just made in college. All these “items” have made my life what it is today, and made me who I am. All these people, likes and dislikes, travels, etc. have imprinted themselves in my memories have been created in their wake and no matter whether they be good or bad, positive or negative. No matter how long it may be, I know that in my mind, they exist and during brief flashes, they will be bought to the forefront of my mind’s eye.
The inspiration for this piece came to me as I made my transition from military life into college. When I reflected on all the things that have past, I realized that there were so many things that I am grateful for that have put me in the position that I am in today. No, it may not be the perfect position to be in, or were they necessarily only good memories, but they were my experiences nonetheless and on hindsight, they were perfect. As soon as I touched down in Singapore, so many things (memories, people, food, etc.) came rushing back to me. Every place that I revisited was cast in a new light, and I started having flashbacks of who I was with and what kind of experiences we had there. The beach, the canal, my old high school campus, my new high school campus, the hobby shops, McDonald’s, KFC, places too numerous to count. However, it is not limited to the physically places or things, even songs and scent have memories that cling on to them. No matter how hard I try to override those memories, they will come back to me at one point or another and when they do, they hit me like a tidal wave. You may call me sentimental, but this is who I am.
As seen from the work, the word “memorandum.” is filled with all that I have mentioned – people, experiences, countries travelled, food, things that I love. But as you step back, the word fades out, getting lighter and lighter, reflecting our flaw in remembering even the things we hold most dear to our hearts. However, in those brief flashes where place or face acts as a catalyst, you have a phase of introspection where you delve deep into your memory. It may be a forgotten birthday, a forgotten friend, a place long forgotten, but they will suddenly become as clear as day, each and every thing printed out clearly before you.
memorandum. will forever be a work-in-progress. As time passes, more things will be added to the grey cells of my mind and changing who I am. As Heraclitus said, “The only thing that is constant in change.” As my experiences pile on and the people who influence me increase, so will I, and so will this piece.
memorandum. was to be displayed as an A0 “print out” on one of two possible options – on acrylic or on card with spotlights directly on the word. If card were used, color of the card would be a similar color to the wall and if acrylic, the words would be embossed or laser carved such that the light would create a shadow of each word on the wall behind.
In memories…
THE ONE 