In a lot of ways, our lives themselves are made up only of memories.  Whether our own memories or the remembrances people have of us, those recollections make up the way we others see us and the way we perceive ourselves.  In her gouache paintings, San Francisco artist Lindsay Stripling emphasizes memory and perceived realities.

Taking inspiration from vintage photographs, Stripling’s portraits represent an entrance into another world, perhaps a reality or memory different from our own.  It’s funny how, you can never have visited a place, yet have a feeling of it merely from associations like film, photographs or stories.  How often have we found ourselves in a spot, knowing consciously we’d never been there before, yet having an unshakeable feeling of familiarity?

Memories of our loved ones can be much the same, over time, our associations may change, changing our perceptions and skewing our memories.  Our memories are sifted through a giant sieve, so that only the strongest impressions survive.

To see more of Lindsay Stripling‘s work, please visit her website.  Lindsay has several pieces currently for sale on the Buy Some Damn Art website– make sure to check them out!

All images via the artist’s website.  Artist found via Buy Some Damn Art.