Consider these markings. A sea of red paper poppies worn on lapels by tens of thousands annually. Mounds of cellophane-wrapped flowers, stuffed animal toys, candles, and notes laid in front of Kensington Palace. A bicycle painted white and encrusted with plastic flowers punctuating the side of a busy roadway. Hashtags such as #SayTheirNames and #BlackLivesMatter repeated millions upon millions of times in cyberspace. Viewers understand their purposes—to memorialize. Whether for fallen soldiers, Princess Diana, a bicyclist hit and killed by an automobile, or those murdered in moments of profound injustice, these visual gestures reinscribe the spectacle of death visually.
Known as spontaneous (and sometimes “makeshift”) memorials, these markings share commonalities, resulting in distinctive artworks existing in opposition to formal, sponsored, officially sanctioned, and permanent memorials. The construction methods of spontaneous memorials rely on the accumulation of readily available materials. The design elements typically focus on visual repetition, an allover composition,...
University of California Press