Retrospect

Retrospect is a multimedia piece based on a line from the poem One Art by Elizabeth Bishop: “Then practice losing farther, losing faster: places, and names, and where it was you meant to travel.” Although everyone loses things throughout their lifetime, the one thing you’re left with is your memories. My piece, Retrospect, is meant to be a visual representation of losing your memories, and yourself, as you age, whether it be through alzheimers, dementia, or anything in between.

 

I chose a mirror as the background in order to captivate the loss of “places.” Throughout life, we are constantly moving to different places, and I wanted this to change with the piece depending on wherever it moves to. Retrospect is meant to change with its surroundings, just as we as people do.

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I found the photographs at an antique shop, and incorporated them in a collage to show memories, people, and names all lost throughout the man’s life.

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The portrait of the old man is essential to tying everything together. Elderly people tend to be overlooked and unvalued, and something I tried to get across here is that everyone has had a life, everyone has stories, and anyone’s memories are susceptible to being lost. The portrait of the old man adds to that message by adding a generality to it. Anyone can lose their mind. Retrospect is ultimately meant to make people think about how valuable memories are. Even if you lose things throughout your life, at least you have recollections of your past.

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This piece was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Regional 2021 Scholastic Art Awards, and created for an assignment during my time at The Oxbow School.

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Materials: mirror tiles, found photographs, graphite, colored pencil.

Dimensions: 15"x18"

Made: 2020