Acting as a continuation from my book entitled Alice, this is a body of work that further explores my relationship with my great-grandmother through the objects that were left behind when she passed away. As I interact with these items I am embodying her, creating a new connection between us through these belongings.
The items that I have gathered are keepsakes chosen by my mother shortly after my great-grandma Alice passed away. For my mother, most objects pinpoint a specific memory of my grandmother, elevating them above their otherwise mundane purpose. For me, even though I was old enough to remember her fondly, the memories I have of these items are not directly tied to her interaction with them. They remind me of my great-grandmother through the importance that my mother has associated with them.
As I went through the process of gathering my great-grandmother’s belongings, what started to make them important to me was the idea that something I was interacting with in the present was something she would have interacted with in the past. It was a tangible way for me to personally connect with my great-grandmother, outside of my mother’s personal experience.
My interactions with each item function as a conversation between my great-grandmother and myself. Sometimes it is back and forth, and sometimes I am embodying her, interacting with the objects in a way she may have at one time.
My great-grandma Alice wasn’t able to see me grow up, but despite her absence, she is still present through the remnants of her life we have chosen to collect and assign special meaning to. Alice becomes a way to connect the past to the present through the items that are left behind and the memories they embody.
