Rosemarie Oakman
Episodic Memory
2014
Video, Cast Iron
Video Credit: Devin Henry
Episodic Memory
2014
Video, Cast Iron
Video Credit: Devin Henry
Work Statement: Episodic Memories are associated with autobiographical events in a person's life. Episodic Memories allow you to remember significant events and stages in your life that shape your identity of self. When I was 21 years old, I counted 23 different unique events, life stages, or flashbulb memories. I created 23 busts of my face in cast iron to represent my life in episodes.
For the piece "Episodic Memory," I melted the 23 cast iron busts in an induction furnace at 2,800 degrees at the National Casting Center Foundry in Alfred, NY. The video recording is played in reverse, so all of the "episodes" emerge from the molten metal. The artwork is representative of the creation of memories.
Special thanks to Coral Penelope Lambert and Devin Henry for their assistance in creating this piece.
For the piece "Episodic Memory," I melted the 23 cast iron busts in an induction furnace at 2,800 degrees at the National Casting Center Foundry in Alfred, NY. The video recording is played in reverse, so all of the "episodes" emerge from the molten metal. The artwork is representative of the creation of memories.
Special thanks to Coral Penelope Lambert and Devin Henry for their assistance in creating this piece.
Artist Bio: Rosemarie Oakman is a visual artist, creative aging educator, philanthropist, and cultural administrator. She was born and raised in New York’s historic Hudson Valley. Rosemarie has eight years of professional experience leading high-quality arts and cultural programming for the memory loss community at healthcare facilities, community arts organizations, and art museums in New York and Oregon. She is a virtual Artist in Residence with the Memory Maker Project, a NY based organization that sparks creativity, community, and connection with elders.
She is the founder and director of the Alzheimer’s Glass and Iron Project, a cross-generational community arts program that utilizes the arts to increase understanding about Alzheimer’s disease and act compassionately to those touched by it. The Alzheimer’s Glass and Iron Project hosts creative programs and educational events that elevate community, art, and understanding. Rosemarie recently earned her Master’s in Nonprofit Management and a Graduate Certificate in Arts Management at the University of Oregon, graduating in Spring 2020. She is a recent inductee into the Nu Lambda Mu, International Nonprofit Honor Society. She received her BFA with honors along with a minor in Gerontology from Alfred University in 2014. Rosemarie strongly believes that engaging in the arts is a catalyst to inspiration, education, and healing. She feels vehemently about accessible arts for all. |