Lamination Machine
Objects stolen, praised, hidden, displayed, and so forth are very
common in my family and truly grasp my interest. I’ve been battling
immense feelings of personal loss for a while now and I’ve been
accumulating items from family members’ homes and storage units
to remember them by. These items consist of photos, letters, diaries,
masks, religious figures, and so forth. Items within these categories
allow me to have further insights into dealing with personal
trauma, feelings of loss, and acceptance. Trying to imitate familiar
environments and objects through my chosen mediums helps drive
my purpose to find a sense of belonging alongside my indigenous
Puerto Rican heritage.
I don’t really handle losing people well (whether physically here or
not), so these objects allow me to remember them to the best of my
ability and make me feel as if they are still here with me to some
capacity. It’s important for me to allow myself time to research and
admire these items to my heart’s desire. I don’t want to let myself
forget, especially with my attention span. With that in mind, holding
onto said objects can be haunting at times too. No matter how
positive or lighthearted the memory associated, It’s hard to shake
the reminder that this may be all I have to remember them by. I
want to pay homage to cultural items and their original owners
to further understand where they come from, my relationship with
said items, and the false hopes that can come from an ideation of
said objects.