Moments

Work to be commissioned, personalized A portrait of memory of a time of specific moments in someone’s life. More typically, it would be as a celebration for a milestone, such as an anniversary or birthday. It can be installed as a room installation or created on a small object and in the shape of a piece of jewelry.

There is a vital collaborative element between the artist and the subject. I will first interview to gather all the necessary information, the history of the subject, the significant events throughout the years, of the memories that need to be represented. And together with the subject, we will work on selecting the physical elements of the installation.

As a room installation, the work is lodged most often at the place where the wall and the ceiling meet. Initially, a border is painted in a very specific color to become the background of the piece. The four main divisions of the room will represent each of the four seasons. A wire/thread/string is pulled once around the room to symbolize a year. Specific moments and memories of that year are being marked a piece of stone/glass/bead. Over time, depending on how many years the installation represents, there is a build-up of beads and stones and a layering of wires/strings. The colors will be selected depending on the specific history of the subject, whose history it is. For example, to celebrate wedding anniversaries, each year will follow the traditional representation such as year one/paper, year two/cotton, year 25/silver, etc. Depending on peoples’ wishes, small personal objects and/or photographs can mark a specific moment in time. This work can be modified on a smaller scale, such as a freestanding sculpture, a stone, a block of wood displayed as space allows, or a custom-made jewel.

Strings of Memory!
by Ana Traina