Emily Wade
My work explores memory as a fragile and constantly shifting experience through the use of lighting and reflections. This investigation began through darkroom photography, where I experimented with developing and manipulating family photographs holding treasured memories, including my own. Through these processes, I became increasingly interested in how light could alter, fade or distort an image, mirroring the way memories change over time.
My exploration later developed into a broader consideration of how light and reflection could be used to portray memory, taking influence from classical narratives such as the myth of Echo and Narcissus. I focused on the moment in which Narcissus becomes fixated on his reflection, ultimately being stripped of his memory and identity as a punishment for his own vanity. This concept informed my creation of mirrored pieces that suggest a loss of self and the distortion of recollection.
The compositions within my work are structured around areas of light and shadow, guiding the viewer’ s eye in a way that reflects how memories are selectively recalled. Strong contrasts highlight moments of clarity, while darker or obscured areas suggest absence or forgotten details. In the past, I have primarily worked with pencil and charcoal, as I find these to be the most forgiving mediums, allowing for continual adjustment and reworking of imagery. This year, however, I have also experimented extensively with printing techniques to achieve distorted effects, using disruption and repetition to further emphasise the instability of memory.