The Fragile, Constructed, and Repeated: A Study of Memory Practices in the Art that Impacts Us
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47611/jsrhs.v12i4.5832Keywords:
archaeology, theatre archaeology, museum, performance, Sarah Sze, Ragnar Kjartnasson, Lynn Hershman LeesonAbstract
Art affects us in ineffable ways, and a large part of it is its ability to retrieve and manipulate memory, or put simply, memory practices. Artists work with memory: whether it be personal memory, shared memories, or common memories. There are many different frameworks to discuss and analyze such art. This paper will use the theatre archaeology framework to discuss and uncover the techniques used by three separate artists: Sarah Sze, Lynn Hershman Leeson, and Ragnar Kjartansson. Through analyzing three of each of the artists’ principal works, theatre archaeology provides an answer to the factors of an effective and compelling piece of art.
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Hersman Leeson, Lynn. “Recent Work (Since 2012)”. Accessed August 10, 2023. https://www.lynnhershman.com/project/recent-work-since-2012/.
Hershman Leeson, Lynn. Roberta’s Construction Chart 1, archival digital print and dye transfer, 58.4 x 43.2 cm. Found on website lynnhershman.com. 1975.
Hershman Leeson, Lynn. VertiGhost (still). 2017.
Hershman Leeson, Lynn. Wallpaper from The Infinity Engine archival digital print, variable dimensions. Found on website lynnhershman.com. 2014.
Kjartansson, Ragnar. Death is Elsewhere (detail). Seven-channel video installation, 77 minutes. Courtesy of the artist, Luhring Augustine, New York, and i8 Gallery, Reykjavik. 2019.
Kjartansson, Ragnar. Me and My Mother. Courtesy of the artist Luhring Augustine, New York and i8 Gallery, Reykjavik. Ongoing.
Kjartnasson, Ragnar. “Ragnar Kjartansson & his mother on ‘Me and My Mother”. Filmed 2016, Louisiana Channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eicurgykZtk&ab_channel=LouisianaChannel.
Kjartansson, Ragnar. The Visitors. Jointly owned by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and The Museum of Modern Art, New York, acquired through the generosity of Mimi Haas and Helen and Charles Schwab. 2012 (installation view, SFMOMA; 2022).
Sophia Fontaine, Andie. “Death is Elsewhere: Ragnar Kjartansson On A Summer’s Night”. Reykjavik Grapevine. June 8, 2021. https://grapevine.is/icelandic-culture/2021/06/08/death-is-elsewhere-ragnar-kjartansson-on-a-summers-night/.
Sze, Sarah. Centrifuge. Courtesy Tanya Bonakdar Gallery and Victoria Miro Gallery, London/Venice. 2017.
Sze, Sarah. “Sarah Sze on the Changing Pace of Time and Space, the Ebb and Flow of Information, and How All Art is Essentially Sculpture.” By Okwui Enwezor. Artspace. https://www.artspace.com/magazine/interviews_features/meet_the_artist/interview-sarah-sze-on-the-ebb-and-flow-of-information-the-changing-pace-of-time-and-space-and-56568.
Sze, Sarah. “Tower 7: Timekeeper, 2016”. Recorded March 31, 2023. Accessed August 13, 2023. https://www.guggenheim.org/audio/track/tower-level-7-timekeeper.
Sze, Sarah. Triple Point (Pendulum). Photo courtesy of the Sarah Sze and Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York. 2013.
Sze, Sarah. Timekeeper. Courtesy of the artist and Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York. 2016.
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