Memory is an imperfect thing. Pictures act as evidence and provide tangible reminders, but they are not true or definite recreations of the past. Photos often lack context, becoming a scene with unknown importance, unknown date, featuring unknown faces and names. When my great grandmother passed away, she left a storage unit filled with long forgotten family photos; I felt a peculiar and haunting nostalgia from them. I have no real memory of these moments and yet, I desperately want to hold onto the echoes these pictures hold. I piece together what remnants I have like a scrapbook, unkempt and skewed as they may be. Where memory falters and specifics are lost, I invent my own context around what is left behind. 

     Recently rediscovered family photos are my initial subject matter, but “I SWEAR, I WILL REMEMBER DORIS IVEY.” presents a new iteration. These memories are altered, cobbled together, and viewed through a lens far detached from the moments captured. The found objects and various media that make up these works reflect this internal scrapbook, creating a patchwork of history. Each piece takes a nontraditional canvas and shape, emphasizing the sense of detachment, rejecting any definitive frame of reference. The bright color scheme and playful display serve as a reminder that this misplaced nostalgia does not have to be entirely haunting- Above all, I aim to preserve the joy and love that has withstood memory’s imperfections.