In my research, I found that the amygdala often produces and stores a type of vibrant memories called “flashbulb memories”. Such memories are essentially highly detailed snapshots of certain moments that were deeply emotionally charged – and are often remembered for a lifetime. They can be of important moments in history (for instance, many remember clearly where they were and what they were doing when they heard about 9/11), but often they are autobiographical, and capture moments that left a high emotional imprint on us. The reason the amygdala stores them is because of the height of emotion felt in the moment the news (or event) was delivered.
In my art, I chose to explore one of my own “flashbulb memories”. Thinking over my own, I realized I remembered in wild detail what I was looking at or seeing when an important conversation took place. An early childhood memory was when my parents told me they were getting divorced – I still remember their postures and gestures, the conversation we had, even the pattern on the couch I was sitting on. I chose to explore that memory through “flashes” captured through photography. I chose to cut away the borders into shreds as a way to symbolize the fraying of the outside of the scene – all that remains clear is the pieces I snapshotted in my memory. I hoped to vignette these photos with a frayed, cut frame in order to convey the way that only certain parts remain imprinted.
Here are digital copies of the final photos I incorporated (the prints weren’t as high quality as I would have liked them to be):
