Materiality of Memory: The case of the Remembrance Poppy

Kyoko Murakami

doi:10.1093/oso/9780190230814.003.0006

Materiality of Memory: The case of the Remembrance Poppy

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This chapter highlights the importance of materiality in memory studies with a focus on the remembrance poppy, an artifact canonical to the practice of commemoration of war and conflict in Britain. A traditional psychological approach to studying the artifact as a decontextualized subject seems to resort to a simplistic representational model of the object. When used in an art installation in a heritage site, it creates a perceptual field of experiencing the past in an extraordinary manner. This chapter argues that when studying phenomena of collective remembering, it is important to consider the interplay between discourse, materials, body, and environment as the integrated whole. The argument is underpinned by the material view of remembering along with the concept of semiotic mediation. The analysis illustrates the significance of the artifact to the ritual performance and addresses how the artifact can create a semiotic field for meaning construction.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Oxford Handbook of Culture & Memory
Editors	Brady Wagoner
Number of pages	16
Publisher	Oxford University Press
Publication date	Oct 2017
Pages	117-132
Chapter	5
ISBN (Electronic)	9780190230814
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190230814.003.0006
Publication status	Published - Oct 2017

Keywords

Faculty of Social Sciences
Materiality
Remembrance Sunday
Ritual
affective field

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1093/oso/9780190230814.003.0006

14_Kyoko-Poppy-FINAL_FINAL(1)-pureAccepted author manuscript, 536 KB

Cite this

@inbook{7a7b9e4693954a5eaab1c0b04bca0d28,

title = "Materiality of Memory: The case of the Remembrance Poppy",

abstract = "This chapter highlights the importance of materiality in memory studies with a focus on the remembrance poppy, an artifact canonical to the practice of commemoration of war and conflict in Britain. A traditional psychological approach to studying the artifact as a decontextualized subject seems to resort to a simplistic representational model of the object. When used in an art installation in a heritage site, it creates a perceptual field of experiencing the past in an extraordinary manner. This chapter argues that when studying phenomena of collective remembering, it is important to consider the interplay between discourse, materials, body, and environment as the integrated whole. The argument is underpinned by the material view of remembering along with the concept of semiotic mediation. The analysis illustrates the significance of the artifact to the ritual performance and addresses how the artifact can create a semiotic field for meaning construction.",

keywords = "Faculty of Social Sciences, Materiality, Remembrance Sunday, Ritual, affective field",

author = "Kyoko Murakami",

year = "2017",

month = oct,

doi = "10.1093/oso/9780190230814.003.0006",

language = "English",

pages = "117--132",

editor = "Brady Wagoner",

booktitle = "Oxford Handbook of Culture & Memory",

publisher = "Oxford University Press",

address = "United Kingdom",

}

TY - CHAP

T1 - Materiality of Memory

T2 - The case of the Remembrance Poppy

AU - Murakami, Kyoko

PY - 2017/10

Y1 - 2017/10

N2 - This chapter highlights the importance of materiality in memory studies with a focus on the remembrance poppy, an artifact canonical to the practice of commemoration of war and conflict in Britain. A traditional psychological approach to studying the artifact as a decontextualized subject seems to resort to a simplistic representational model of the object. When used in an art installation in a heritage site, it creates a perceptual field of experiencing the past in an extraordinary manner. This chapter argues that when studying phenomena of collective remembering, it is important to consider the interplay between discourse, materials, body, and environment as the integrated whole. The argument is underpinned by the material view of remembering along with the concept of semiotic mediation. The analysis illustrates the significance of the artifact to the ritual performance and addresses how the artifact can create a semiotic field for meaning construction.

AB - This chapter highlights the importance of materiality in memory studies with a focus on the remembrance poppy, an artifact canonical to the practice of commemoration of war and conflict in Britain. A traditional psychological approach to studying the artifact as a decontextualized subject seems to resort to a simplistic representational model of the object. When used in an art installation in a heritage site, it creates a perceptual field of experiencing the past in an extraordinary manner. This chapter argues that when studying phenomena of collective remembering, it is important to consider the interplay between discourse, materials, body, and environment as the integrated whole. The argument is underpinned by the material view of remembering along with the concept of semiotic mediation. The analysis illustrates the significance of the artifact to the ritual performance and addresses how the artifact can create a semiotic field for meaning construction.

KW - Faculty of Social Sciences

KW - Materiality

KW - Remembrance Sunday

KW - Ritual

KW - affective field

U2 - 10.1093/oso/9780190230814.003.0006

DO - 10.1093/oso/9780190230814.003.0006

M3 - Book chapter

SP - 117

EP - 132

BT - Oxford Handbook of Culture & Memory

A2 - Wagoner, Brady

PB - Oxford University Press

ER -

Materiality of Memory: The case of the Remembrance Poppy

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this