Jessica Carbine 

Altered Memory  

An ongoing series 

Collage inkjet archival prints

How do you describe a memory to someone? How do you sum up the entire essence of an experience to the inexperienced? Even if a person has had something similar happen to them it'll never be the same as it was for you. This project is an attempt to  sum up a memory into one image. The ringing of aspen trees in the wind, the sense of adventure at a glimpse of the map or the colors of the sunset. 

People and travel are linked for me. Many of the trips I have gone on would not be the same without the people I have traveled with. As a result many of these images have themes of travel and identity laced throughout. Road maps are a connecting element throughout many of the images. These are copied from the atlas my family used to travel when I was a kid. On road trips I or my mom were often incharge of this heirloom and it was important to learn how to read it accurately. 

Each image starts as a normal photo. I take it down to its core Black and white values, the darkest grays to the lightest. Then I replace those values with textures. I wanted the images to have a scrapbook-like feel so some of the textures are from scrapbook paper. Other textures are from sketches I made while on the trip or with the person. I also add anything else of importance to me during the experience such as sheet music I used or books I was reading. The colors encompass the importance of a field of flowers or a sunset. While I am doing this I often try to think of the people or the experience with their core values. What do I admire most about this person? How do I portray that in a pictorial sense? What was the most important or memorable part of this road trip?

There was a time when pictures were precious. You only got so many per roll of film. There were only so many of you that you could fit on the page of a scrapbook. Now we have so many pictures of people and travels that I often find myself overwhelmed and wishing for just one image.Each image is unique but there are connecting themes that remain recurring in my life. I love to travel and I have tried to go on as many trips as possible. I don’t always have time for this so the few trips I have managed to go on are precious to me as are the people with me.