Serial Memory, installation views, 2018, NLIS cattle ear tags and handwritten notes
Serial Memory evolved through my interest in the role of objects and places as witnesses to unseen trauma. The installation of this project consisted of a collection of 51 NLIS cattle ear tags displayed alongside with small handwritten descriptions. These notes were based on the decoded numbering system inscribed on each of the tags and included the year and the place of birth, along with visual observations of the physical condition of the objects. Many tags were still tangled with hair and mud, providing small windows into the life of each animal. I chose to present my research findings in a display that suggested an open investigation or memorial site. I hoped that this earnest, simple installation would invite the viewers into my world, a world where each one of these animals mattered, where there is space for grieving, and a need to confront the reality of their lives.