The uncertain fragments of memories

Menano, Maria Luisa Bastos (2005) The uncertain fragments of memories. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.

Abstract

The research titled The Uncertain Fragments of Memories has been conducted at Winchester School of Art, Sculpture Department, since April 2000 as a creative practice based research degree.

The paper will address key questions about identity, culture, memory, and narrative.

The introduction establishes key concepts and introduces the authors and artists that have been a significant influence throughout this programme.

In stage 1 the artist discusses her motives for her investigation into self and identity using examples of supporting evidence from a number of texts, the most significant of which are: The Feeling of What Happens by neurologist António Damásio, Strangers to Ourselves by the psychologist Timothy Wilson and On Collective Memory by the sociologist Maurice Halbwachs. Examples of some of these texts can also be found in the endnotes. The Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa, and the performing artist Laurie Anderson are presented as key influences in the development of the methodology.

Stage 2 still draws upon the above authors but form a more autobiographical point of view. With the help of Timothy Wilson’s book Strangers to Ourselves the artist manages to narrow down the research and focus the investigation on more intimate aspects of the mind, highlighting strategies that can be used to achieve a greater awareness and understanding of ones self. The research also extends to include other artists such as the cinematographer Andrey Tarkovsky, who uses his films to explore the inner workings of the mind, alongside the playwright, novelist and poet, Samuel Beckett, whose texts focus on essential aspects of human condition at the more basic level. All are concerned with a person’s inner world and the psychological journey that informs the way one lives.

The outcome of this research includes the manuscript, a research Archive, and one DVD which contains two video works, one of which is the recorded performance of the presentation of the research, interacting and two sound installations, InSide a Confession and fragments of memories. The manuscript introduces the way that this research has been conducted and is presented in two stages, marking the phases before and after the upgrade.

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