When I look for inspiration to make any kind of work, I often dig into the past. Past experiences, past relationships, ghosts really. Sometimes these ghosts leave an unpleasant memory in your head. My work is about erasing that memory from existence. How many times have you wished you could just forget every memory you had of someone? These photos are very much about addressing that issue, while keeping the consequences of this action in mind. Is it really worth forgetting everything about someone just to get rid of the bad memories? It also begs the question, "if by erasing them, will you be erasing part of yourself?" After all, everyone grows through struggles in their life. So would you trade who you are now to go back to who you were at a different time? To forget, just to forget... I was surprised most that these photos, and this very familiar subject matter, came out of me completely involuntarily. It took me the whole semester to realize that this was what the work was really about. After working on this question about erasing memories for a whole semester I still don't have an answer for myself. Zak Maybaum, BFA Photography Junior UIUC