Engrams: Abstract Art and Emotional Memories 
Nichola Stott, MA Arts Practice 

Abstract:

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Since the emergence of abstract art in the early twentieth century, there has been a preoccupation in the observer to understand or decode the subjects meaning. In and of itself, this presupposes that the subject represents an object, as in realism. Decoding the subject as an object becomes a tautological impossibility with abstract expressionism if we understand expression is not an attempt at representation. 

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Expression is entirely subjective and can mean different things to different artists. Nichola Stott examines a personal view of recollection and communication through her practice-based inquiry focused on abstract painting and the interplay between the senses, memory, and emotion. This article posits how sensory stimuli combine to create a total-emotional remembered experience. 

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