“Do you ever question your fondest memories?” “Do you fear forgetting your memories?” “Have you ever remembered something that wasn’t real?”
Master of Fine Arts studio art student Hailey Hodge poses these questions and explores the human brain’s potential to distort memories over time in her thesis exhibit, “The Archive.”
Hodge’s exhibit will be open for viewing in Gallery 130 in Meek Hall from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. this week with a reception Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
With degrees in business marketing and studio art printmaking from Converse College in South Carolina, Hodge utilized her printmaking skills to create “The Archive,” a collection of layered, screen printed images, as part of her thesis exhibit for the University of Mississippi MFA program. Hodge made each piece by digitally manipulating her own photographs, specifically ones correlated to special memories.
One of Hodge’s pieces; Photo courtesy: Hailey Hodge
She printed some images onto clear film and others onto fiberglass cloths using the CMYK, or four color, screen printing process. She set the different layers in resin and lit them from behind using LED lights. This dreamy, spellbinding exhibit is meant to express distorted, altered and forgotten memories.
“Memories from our past are changed by our current atmosphere, manipulated by our emotions toward the experience,” Hodge said.
“The Archive” showcases artwork that celebrates memories that change over time because of emotion, situation and perspective. While some may see the distortion or memory change in a negative light, Hodge disagrees. She finds “the changes and twists in our memory to be beautiful.”
Hodge was inspired with the theme of distortion when she confronted her own fears of losing her eyesight. She began to explore how memories are affected with a distorted lens. While the theme of the collection is more about distorted, altered and forgotten memories, Hodge said even her declining eyesight has influence in her artwork.
“The Archive” promises to enthrall viewers with its relatable theme. Hodge takes something universal and personalizes it introspectively while demonstrating her masterful talent in printmaking.
“We all have past memories stored, false memories that we believe and we continue to create new memories every moment,” Hodge said.
Hodge’s openness about her own changing memories creates an element of vulnerability in her work. As “The Archive” connects reality and fantasy, Hodge has also created an alternative, yet somehow more personal display of her memories.
In her artwork, Hodge’s alterations of the images represent the human mind’s ability to compensate for forgotten or overlooked details in memories. This creates a balance between reality and fantasy in her work, looking much like a memory from long ago or a dream. Hodge celebrates the gift of memory while recognizing the beauty of the human mind as it adapts and compensates for the variety of situations, emotions and perspectives that shape us.
“These images, a far cry from the original memory, are a visual representation of how I imagine my past and, in some works, how I want to remember,” she said. “They are a beautiful distortion.”
