Distressed Memories
Memories are fragile, shifting things—never quite as they were and amazingly never the same for any two people. A shared moment can result in two entirely different recollections, shaped by emotion, perceptions, and time. In relationships, we carry pieces of each other forward, whether we mean to or not. We remember things the other person has long forgotten, and they remember things we never noticed at all.
“If it's not too late for coffee
I'll be at your place in ten
We'll hit that all night diner
And then we'll see”
"Coffee" by Copeland
Distressed Memories explores the hazy, bittersweet nature of remembering—how the past shapes us, but can never truly be relived. Each painting in this series is named after a song, a nod to the melancholic mixtapes of heartbreak and nostalgia that have always resonated with me. Like music, memories evoke emotion but remain intangible and get distorted over time.
“Please remember me and we will meet in memory
I’ll ask about your day, you will laugh and start to say
You wanted to be with me since the moment that I left
But so much time has passed us by we’ll promise that
If this is what we get, then let’s make the most of it”
"Yesteryear" by Rosi Golan
There’s a strange comfort in looking back, in tracing the outlines of what was, even when we know that "what could have been" is an illusion. Relationships end, but they leave behind echoes—lessons learned, perspectives changed, fragments of love and loss woven into who we become. Just because something didn’t last doesn’t mean it wasn’t meaningful.
“You wanna find peace of mind
Lookin' for the answer”
"Cigarette Daydreams" by Cage the Elephant
We are shaped by the past, whether we dwell on it or not. The memories remain—softened, blurred, sometimes more beautiful than the reality ever was.