For the research portion of this assignment, we had to find photos that illustrates the content of five quotes read aloud in class.
"The body is the primary mode of perceiving scale" I chose this image to fit this quote because I have never felt as small as I did when I spent time in the canyons of Southern Utah. Not even just the scale of the walls, but the vast amount of stars at night and the long straight roads all gave this feeling of being so small. I have never been able to explain the height without photos of myself near the gorgeous canyon walls and without explaining the height, depth and vastness of all of it in comparison to the size of myself.
"Capacity of objects to serve as traces of authentic experience" For me, authenticity has always been about doing what you say you should do. When I worked for REI, one of the main things I learned was to always speak from the heart and always be true to yourself and your message. Part of my message has always been that being outside and being in nature is such a grounding positive thing, so for me this quote inspired thoughts of my backpacking gear, my climbing gear, all the outdoor gear that keeps me authentic to who I am as a person and to what I believe.
"The souvenir reduces the public, the monumental, and the three dimensional into the miniature, that which can be enveloped by the body." This blanket is my souvenir of all my travels with my boyfriend. We've spent the entire summer traveling, adventuring and using him as a model for my photos. For me, the blanket has come with us everywhere and every time I see it or start feeling the itch of wanderlust I hold it with me while watching some mountaineering movies or travel movies on netflix.
"To have a souvenir of the exotic is to possess both a specimen and a trophy" One of my friends worked for the museum of natural history and one day he got permission to bring me back to the private collection of minerals, rocks and gems that are just for academic purpose and wouldn't ever make it out on display. Some of the items were so absolutely gorgeous and I wished I could have taken home even a small souvenir of these amazing formations.
"Nostalgia can't be sustained without loss" My immediate first thought was this little girl. I have been her nanny since she came into this world, and despite never wanting her to grow up, I know that without that loss of her childhood I will never get to be nostalgic. I will never get to celebrate her future and reminisce over parts of her childhood that I spend with her.
