The archivist

Abstract

An exploration of nostalgia, memory, and how we place our existence in the world within the context of what has come before us. In an act of self-exploration, artist Ryan Jenkins allows himself to be overcome with his alternate personality, The Archivist, to create a multimedia installation in the West Hall Gallery of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, which exhibited from April 28-31 from 5:30-8:30pm, 2016. How do we decide to compartmentalize our memory for safekeeping? How do you prioritize experience for future recall and preservation of its accuracy? What do we deem as accurate? How do we stomach the dissonance between expectation and reality in our own life experiences?In This Thesis, the author mirrors the narrative of the multimedia installation and creates an artistic document meant to accompany the work. He weaves the artistic narrative of script writing with the obsessive and neurotic tendencies of The Archivist. Much like in his artwork, the tension and struggle between Ryan and The Archivist is present as they work together to deeper understand their process and relationship through writing.