September- November 2012
Mnemonic Series II
This body of work is based the idea of memory, specifically in relation to the interpretation of memory images by the human brain. Images in our memory banks are distorted by the brain. Memory is not precise, it is extremely malleable and influenced by endless forces. Details are enlarged and exaggerated, reduced and understated, and at times completely eliminated. I examined this idea through my own memories, using old photographs used as an ‘aide memoire’. I was interested in the dramatic difference between these photographs and my own memories of the same place. As such, I wanted to try to achieve an image that corresponds closer to the way that memory works. A number of experiments culminated in this body of work. The underlying images were completed through a combination of image transfer and acrylic resist techniques. My previous paintings had largely been based on photographic studies, but here I was interested in making this photograph a tangible part of the painting. Image transfer techniques use acrylic mediums or solvents to transfer the ink from a photograph to a new surface. It resembles a ‘memory’ of the original, often sections distorted or missing. In resist techniques, different substances such as alcohol, bleach and salt react with the acrylic painting, distorting the image and leaving behind a trace of this reaction. As well as these techniques, I experimented with using magnifying lens sheets to distort the resulting image. Areas of the painting are enlarged and distorted, in an effort to recreate the processes of memory.
Cormac O'Donnell 