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Description
Anamnesis is a body of work that encourages rediscovery of a childhood sense of wonder and excitement about adulthood. The work provokes thought of current adult perceptions of life and how those views might have changed since childhood. Anamnesis suggests viewers reconsider their perceptions, by elevating and making monuments of objects, which adults might dismiss. The objects created in this project symbolize different aspects of adult life that children are eager to experience. These same symbolic objects are sometimes viewed in adult life as complex, tedious, or burdensome. Anamnesis offers viewers the chance to view these facets of adult life with a childlike sense of wonder. Anamnesis is comprised of five pieces, each of which is made of metal. Traditional metalsmithing techniques and materials were utilized to reference established uses of metal in memorial, commemorative, and religious objects. Metals such as brass and nickel-plated copper emulate the valued colors gold and silver of heirloom and antique objects. The work is oversized and displayed in a manner that encourages viewers to see the objects from a specific vantage point. The pieces are all distorted representations of the objects they correspond to, which suggests the changing nature of memory and recollection from childhood to adulthood. Each piece also utilizes crayon as a nontraditional surface treatment, evoking thoughts of childhood. Within the exhibition, the metalsmithed pieces could only be accessed via a sewn sheet "fort" that builds a sense of child-like excitement and anticipation of the unknown, as it guides viewers from the doorway of the gallery to the interior room where the work is installed. The intimate space in which the pieces are displayed serves as a ritualistic, sacred space for renewal and contemplation. The body of work that comprised Anamnesis was displayed in the Flor y Canto Gallery at San Diego State University from April 16 - 21, 2011. Images of this thesis project are on file at the Slide Library of the School of Art, Design, and Art History at San Diego State University.
