Traces and Erasures

I often consider the other side of memory, which is forgetting, contemplating what is dissolving, breaking down, decaying, or falling into disrepair. While collecting and preserving traces safeguards memory, erasure and destruction of material jeopardizes memory, and can lead to neglect and forgetting. Metaphorically speaking, erasure is loss, lost memory, and forgetting. But as memories disappear, there is always some detritus left—some fragments of memory that can be reassembled.