Mikayla Whitmore & Memories (Entry 8)

'Taking a picture for posterity at a birthday, wedding or concert may harm our ability to remember the event fully, researchers believe in a phenomenon known as 'photo-taking impairment effect' `

(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/10507146/Taking-photographs-ruins-the-memory-research-finds.html)

Dr. Linda Henkel of Fairfield University in Connecticut conducted the study, in which participants toured a campus art museum. Some were assigned to take photos; others were asked to simply remember what they saw. Subjects were tested on their memories of the museum a day later.The students who took photos fared significantly worse at correctly identifying items from the museum, and recalled fewer details of those they did remember

A second study by the team of researchers  also presented an interesting twist: Taking a photograph of a specific detail on the object by zooming in on it with the camera seemed to preserve memory for the object, not just for the part that was zoomed in on but also for the part that was out of frame.

"These results show how the 'mind's eye' and the camera's eye are not the same," says Henkel.

The concept of memory is fascinating and can be explored in many ways. While researching the topic, I discovered a photographer who uses the idea of memory as her main theme. Her name is Maykayla Whitmore.

Whitmore was born and raised in Las Vegas and earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in photography from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2010. Her work has been exhibited and curated at multiple venues in Clark County. She currently balances her studio practice with work as a concierge on the Strip. She most recently presented new work in a solo exhibit at Kleven Contemporary in downtown Las Vegas.

 She is fascinated by memory and how our minds record and file away seemingly insignificant details. She says also being interested and how the brain seems to reconstruct memories whenever we are explaining them, we are re-imagining them. She mentions in an interview : 

“We pass by overlooked objects until something alters our perception,” Whitmore said. “Individual memories fall by the wayside, figments merge together, dreams become possible and truth is no longer cemented by fact.”

Her artwork is focused on capturing, analyzing and romanticizing moments that no longer exist. They are the results of significant moments in her life.

http://www.mikaylawhitmore.com/

http://lasvegascitylife.com/sections/ae/art/artist-mikayla-whitmore-talks-about-her-work.html