This current project I am working on is a conceptual and research driven project, which explores the field of Memory, delving into topics such as Remembering, Forgetting and Memory Retrieval as well as exploring the issues that are linked to these i.e. age related issues such as general forgetfulness (that natural happens as part of the ageing process) and more serious issues such as dementia and Alzheimer's which we are more prone to developing as we age. The aim of my work is to both highlight, and address these issues in order to make people more aware of this growing issue (due to our growing ageing population), as well as show how I believe that art and design processes can help not only stress these issues but also can be used to aid with tackling them - helping people and their families cope with situations they find themselves in as well as giving them a chance to tell their stories to the world and show them that they are not the only ones that are facing these problems. In order to get these messages across, I have taken my extensive research into memory, the various aspects of this topic and the issues related to them and analysed it all in order to find out how I could depict them using art and design methods. The results were that our senses, specific imagery and objects all play key roles in our memory and that they can be used to help us remember moments that were thought to be forgotten - this process is called memory retrieval. However, where the problems start to spring up is that as we get older our brains ability to match the right imagery to the right memory in order to retrieve it lessens, this is where forgetfulness happens - but this becomes a more serious issue if it persists; the persons memories are not just seen as forgotten but lost altogether - this is when people are diagnosed with illness' such as dementia and Alzheimer's.

With this in mind this is where my current work and the work of other artists'/designers'/makers' comes into play, and thus showing the important role that art and design can play. With my work I aim to take the knowledge that senses, imagery and objects litter our memories and thus can be used to retrieve memories at a later stage. My work takes the idea of preservation and applies it to memories in order for them to be immortalised and thus be used to help us remember moments from our lives. In order to show how this could work I have decided to use my own personal memories. By analysing them and selecting parts from them that relate to senses and imagery such as colours, patterns, textures and forms, I have been able to develop work that could be used by myself later in life to help retrieve the memories that they relate to. By using processes such as ceramic transfer printing and slip casting, I have been able create work that shows how art and design can be used to translate the relevant imagery, textures, colours etc. into pieces of work that physically embody memories and can thus act as physical memory retrieval aids that people could have around the house or be given as a gift by a loved one who wants to try and help a loved one. Moreover, the processes and techniques I have used within my work also perfectly portray not only the personal meaning behind them (as they are related to my own memories and to a member of my own family), but also depict the powerful messages and context behind the work.