The goldfish symbol comes from two places: a saying and an artist.
Henri Matisse is the artist, and the saying is "goldfish memory", which alludes to a very short memory span in pop culture. Matisse used to paint goldfish both as the main subject of his pieces and as elements of the background after a trip he took to Morocco where he saw people gazing into fishbowls for hours on end. It is said that the goldfish symbolize a "tranquil state of mind" and a "paradise lost", for Matisse, while also representing his love for color and movement.
Goldfish Memory I & II, Acrylic Paint and Graphite on Paper
Referencing the popular phrase “goldfish memory” to suggest memory loss, I moved away from depicting neuroimaging as seen in labs. Brightly colored goldfish that circle the subject’s heads like vultures, they represent the memory loss that is characteristic of senile dementia. Faced with the somewhat fatalist attitude that accompanies diagnosis of dementia, I aim to portray neurodegeneration with a lighter heart than neuroscience.
Goldfish have become a motif in my visual vocabulary since my first dementia portrait. They've come to symbolize the circularity of human cognition; our highest cognitive capabilities are absent in infancy, peak in the middle of life, and then decrease with age. Accepting this circularity has brought me peace and serves as a reminder of the ephemeral condition of our capability to remember.
Comments