Saahith Veeramaneni Week 13: Contemporary Descriptions of Memory
Week 13
Contemporary Descriptions of Memory – 3/20 [9:59 P.M.]
I would like to preface this blog with a little introduction to the two art pieces that I am considering.
The first is a famous painting by Salvador Dali, titled “The Persistence of Memory.” It's more
recognizable when it's framed as "that painting with the weird melting clocks on a beige background."
The second is a more familiar work, an album by "The Caretaker," and is titled "Everywhere at the End of
Time." This song was relatively popular two years ago on the internet, and there was a whole host of
fanatics who incorporated this music into short-form videos that have helped younger generations relate
to and become more sympathetic to dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases.
I chose these two specifically because of their slightly different perspectives, leading to slightly
deviating conclusions that are equally educational and great food for thought.
Dali's painting is a visual representation of memory's malleability and subjectivity. The melting clocks
draped over various objects emphasize the fluid nature of time, explaining how memories can distort or
fade over time. The soft, dreamlike landscape presents memory in an ephemeral context that is
unknowable and fragile. By presenting familiar objects in an unfamiliar context, Dali challenges
viewers to reconsider their understanding of reality and memory. One thing I drew from this painting is
somewhat of a juxtaposition: I think Dali wanted to communicate that the nature of memory is highly
variable and how it can be both elusive and enduring.
On the other hand, The Caretaker's project takes a more direct and poignant approach to exploring
memory. Each stage of the six-part series represents a different phase in the progression of dementia,
from the early stages of recognition, represented by bright, cheerful rhythms, to the later stages of
confusion, represented by a haunting mess of static. Essentially, this album acts as an analog that
mirrors the gradual decay of memory and cognitive function. As the albums progress, the music
becomes increasingly fragmented and distorted, reflecting the fragmented nature of memory in the
later stages of dementia. It was difficult to sit through the entirety of the album, lasting a whole nine
hours, but I believe that by the end, I had myself experienced the fragility of human consciousness and
the inevitability of forgetting.
So what does it mean to you? These artworks by Salvador Dali and The Caretaker make us think
about memory's fragility and how memory is intrinsically related to reality. I might sound a bit morally
relativistic when I say this, but they remind us that your reality is what you perceive. They remind us
to cherish our memories while acknowledging their fleeting nature. Through them, we gain empathy
for those dealing with memory loss. They show us the beauty and vulnerability of being human,
encouraging us to appreciate life's fleeting moments.
While listening to "Everything at the End of Time" may be a hard sell to some, I would recommend
analyzing Dali's painting to stimulate more conversation about memory and humanity in general.
HI Saahith! As always, your blog writing is a total banger, with your usage of eloquent language and cognitive themes. Last year, after seeing a lot of media around the piece of music, I got really into “Everywhere at the end of time,” listening to the entire 6-hour album in the background while trying to do homework. It started out pretty normal, but later on, it became rather difficult to focus on studying, as the music gets distorted. I also really liked the album's usage of surreal images, both thought-provoking, and interesting to look at. I really enjoyed the relatively unique medium of art, using music to convey a journey into dementia. Similarly, I also liked that you brought up the Persistence of Memory. I never really knew its name, but I do think that the painting is incredibly iconic, and anyone would be able to recognize the painting. I also wanted to bring up a “sequel” to the painting, called The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory. The second version is an edited version of The Persistence of Memory, which shows the content of the painting being split up into bits and pieces. To me, the second version represents the “disintegration” of memories, not just their malleability and weakness to time.
ReplyDeleteHi Saahith! I'm familiar with the famous Dali painting depicting the melting clocks because my dad has that painting hung up in his office. He even got a real life replica model of one of the melted clocks that actually functions, so that's pretty cool to see a reference to a work that I have a lot of familiarity with. However, I had never heard of The Caretaker album, and the way you portray it sounds particularly interesting and makes me want to check it out. I think your take on reality being whatever we perceive it to be is quite thought-provoking because there is a lot of validity to that statement. Other people's opinions on what we see as reality don't affect our reality in the slightest, so why should we all share one collective, agreed-upon reality? I also really liked your critical analysis of Dali's painting. I feel like I normally just get annoyed when people start breaking down paintings, but here everything you said felt true and actually made me realize more about the painting than before. Great blog!
ReplyDeleteOne thing that comes to mind after reading this blog is the Halo TV series. Much like other series based off already existing franchises, people within the Halo fan base were rather concerned about the quality of such a show, as most series and forms f media that capitalize along an already existing fan base rely on the fan base in order to gain success, rather than individual artistic value and effort. Such fears soon came to fruition when the director of the TV show came out and admitted that he had never played any of the Halo series (the games) itself. So, when the series came out, not only was the series lacking in creativity and originality, but also failed to stay original and faithful to the original franchise, thus holding little value. The unwillingness of the movie and video media industry is honestly such a shame. As budgets and audience continues to rise, so will the fear of loosing money. While monetary incentive is what allows for a lot of modern masterpieces and high-quality art, the commodification of art and creativity is something that should be considered with concern.
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