Jon Shimizu

Objects Found Along the Path of Memory
After my parents passed, the settlement of their affairs has been most time consuming, especially the decluttering process (2½ years and counting). Three generations of household objects in two locations needed to be sorted and then given away or discarded. However, seeing the various objects again—some I have not seen in 50 years—immediately brought vivid memories to mind, as a certain aroma or song might. I started to photograph the objects that held stronger memories, to learn of the common thread that may run through all of them. 

Although the photographed items appear to be a random heap of junk, they are a code—not unlike DNA—known only to me. The items imbibed with deeper memories became the seeds of life-long interests or the springboard for further exploration. For example, the Life magazines, even those I now see pre-dated my birth, were always on the coffee table. Browsing through them filled me with the fascination of black and white photography that still continues.

The one exception is the guppy tank (06). As a child, I found it essential to acquire such a tank to ensure the highest survival rate of the offspring by providing an impenetrable refuge. However, much to my chagrin, the limited oxygen in the small tank killed all the fish, mother and offspring. I think the guppy tank may be the only object I keep, for in it is perhaps the most valuable lesson.