Threads of Memories, Shadows of Time
Chloe Sailor
What is a place without the memories that inhabit it? We leave traces of ourselves where we live, and the ghosts of our past memories leave places personed even when no one is present. I’m interested in the personal histories and memories that live around us, how they give meaning to the places we reside, and how they change over time. I explore these ideas through the memory of the women in my family who have called the state of Maine home for centuries. Maine has always been a challenging place to live, and its volatile, yet intensely beautiful landscape creates a particular type of person and community. Through investigating my maternal history, I uncover lost connections between us that strengthen the ties to a place I have always considered home, but never known why. I collect threads of memories through the archive and personal exploration of the places they lived. Then, I create details left out of the archive through Critical Fabulation, a term coined by scholar and author Saidiya Hartman that she uses to describe her research process of combining historical and archival research with critical theory and fictional narratives to fill in the missing pieces. Through this research process and a combination of painting, alternative photographic processes, and fiber arts, I retell these stories and weave together a new narrative of Maine history.
Liz Masterson
Time is impermanent, constantly changing, and fleeting. I am using light and shadow to visualize time. Shadows, much like time, are a shifting, evolving presence, ephemeral and intangible. Through my work, I seek to capture these fleeting moments, freezing them in time. To make these impermanent moments in time permanent. My creative process involves exploring the relationship between objects and the shadows they cast and experimenting with different light sources and angles to manipulate and highlight these ephemeral shapes. I start by collecting tracings of light leaks and dappled light. After collecting the shapes of light, I make them in ceramics to create their permanence. Whether through large-scale installations or intimate, minimalist pieces, I seek to create experiences that encourage contemplation and reflection, inviting viewers to engage with the shadows.
