ARTIST STATEMENT
We are our memories, without them we would be lost and unable to navigate the world. Our very identities are based on our memories, perfect or imperfect. We embrace some memories to bolster our personal mythologies, bury the unpleasant ones and play other memories over and over again, as if to improve or perfect them to reach an understanding or acceptance of a past event. Photographs can solidify the ephemeral nature of a memory, allowing us to reconstruct the past and preserve it for the future.
Memories can be fragile and fleeting, both difficult to retrieve or difficult to forget. In essence there are no perfect memories. My collages are made from handmade paper, old found photos and ephemera, natural items, and cast paper. The process of enclosing photos and natural objects between two layers of handmade paper partially obscures the images and leads to their mystery.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
I am a multi-media artist working in fiber, collage, assemblage and painting, living in Madison Wisconsin. I have exhibited my work in the Midwest including Chicago, Indiana and Wisconsin since 1997.
© Terri Messinides