BENDING BACK

2003

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY ON CANVAS (installation)

 

As a child, I spent much of my playtime in the open fields and vast forests near the family farm. Even thought these experiences were shared with my siblings, my memories of the places are intimate and unique to me alone. A friend of mine, growing up in town, used the junkyard as his playground. Although these two environments were significantly different, we form a strong enough connection through sharing our thoughts, that any field, forest or junkyard is a representation of our experiences. This phenomenon is what Bending Back is all about; creating the connection between uniquely personal memories and universal human experiences of childhood, growth and coming of age. Our visual memories, whether acquired through personal experience or by sharing with others, act as referential triggers throughout our daily life, molding us into unique individuals. Over time, the associations collected form a layering of meaning and sense of community. Whether I visit the site of a rape or a quiet forest deep in the country, I am aware of the others who have also been there and have created their own memories. By presenting some of my significant locations in combination with depictive narrations about each, I am making them and the extremely personal memories associated with each accessible to you. Although they invoke private memories for me, they have a multitude of meanings and through further exploration create an extended connection to every person and every place. With Bending Back, I present you with the opportunity to explore the places and events that have helped to make me who I am, as an artist, woman and person. I hope that these sites evoke memories and stories of your own and that the connections you form can be woven into a community of memories that both transcend and reinforce individuality.