The role of photography in the construction of individual memory

Memory carries traces of life and experience. Each individual builds his/her identity with the accumulation of memory s/he has created throughout his/her life. The family, society and culture born into shape the identity and memory. The individual is fed from society and culture while forming his/her memory. Human, who needs auxiliary tools for the realization of remembering in the construction of memory, has discovered photography. Photography has given humanity the power to freeze the moment. This thesis explores the individual memory and the role of photography in the construction of individual memory. The aim of the research is to show the transformation in individual memory construction through photography. Culture is also included in the research because culture is also a human element. The study starts by examining the memory types and the formation of memory before photography then continues by discussing the new forms of visual recording, which started with the invention of photography. Human life has evolved from the analogue era to the digital. Photo albums, which were used for memory formation in the analogue period, the way of sharing and viewing these albums has been transformed in the digital age. This transformation shows its effect not only in daily life but also in art productions. Artists establish a new memory construction for themselves in the conditions of the period in which they live, by focusing on their individual memories. It is also mentioned how the construction of memory transforms into an art object.