That was then, this is tonight

Alexa MacKenzie
Artist Statement

My concept for the sculpture installation “That was then, this is tonight” examines photography as a storytelling medium. I want to explore photographs as frozen, biased fragments of time that aim to record the human experience, and consequently build a visual history. The nature of a photograph may appear dormant to the viewer yet the meaning of visual symbols may create a very active state in the viewer’s mind. When we look at a photograph that, prior to viewing, has no personal connection to us we tend to search for recognizable imagery to help “make sense” of what the image is representing. In examining a found photograph, the significance to the photographer can become completely lost to a foreign viewer. In any photographic viewing, “sign” interpretation is in play. In the case of found photographs, there are several stages of removal from the original context. This pushes us to question what the image’s intended meaning was and how we can relate to the image ourselves.
The framework of time is based on our memory of the past, experience of the present, and our ability to project into the future. In this installation I will use photographs as a marker for defined moments. We will use 9” x 13” deep dish baking pans as molds to create transparent frames. These images will be displayed as frozen blocks of ice, signifying that our experiences are constant and time is ongoing. The sculptures will be put on display at the beginning of the night and will be allowed to melt and morph over the course of the one-evening event. For the creation of the project, I am asking artists of our working group to use their found photographs to collectively create several pieces, thus contributing to the concept of personal narration versus collective memory. The technical process is still in its experimental stage. One maintenance issue that will have to be accommodated for with an indoor gallery space is how the melted water will be contained and cleaned up. There will not likely be a huge volume of water, but I recognize the need to respect the space.