Grand Opening Drawing

'CERTAIN LIVED EXPERIENCES CAN BE ESTABLISHED IN A MOMENTS NOTICE, BUT ONCE A CONNECTION HAS BEEN MADE, IT CAN LINGER A LIFETIME'. The subject matter which I am interested is embedded in the idea of 'place' as a reservoir for memory and the connectedness which deems it unforgettable. The house that one grew up in, the corner deli, the old movie theater, the amusement park, the grammar school building, that favorite street corner, etc. These places play a significant role in a society's daily functions, places where memories are created, shared, relived and stored. They can define a society as a whole, and in the same instance add to an individual sense of self. But many of these are continually in the process of slowly disintegrating; whether it is due to a sudden climatic event or the upheaval of mass construction and revitalization. The transformed environment can no longer be considered an extension of the self; and once it has been compromised, the deterioration of the attached memory will begin to take effect. To neglect the place where our most treasured memories originate would be to deny part of one’s personal identity itself.