Psychoanalysis and art

This thesis problematizes the notion of memory as a non-gendered mechanism by examining the construction of memory and subjectivity in Chris Marker's La jetâee and Sans soleil. Using the theoretical frameworks of Jacques Lacan, Bracha Ettinger, and Andrâe Bazin, the paper argues that La jetâee presents a model of phallic memory corresponding to a Lacan's understanding of desire and subjectivity, while Sans soleil offers a model of matrixial memory based on Ettinger's theorization of the gaze. Bazin's work is used to address aesthetic issues, as well as providing a method for exploring how the phallic and matrixial frameworks impact the formal construction of the films. Ultimately, La jetâees model of phallic memory is shown to sever past from present in a manner corresponding to Lacanian notions of desire, castration, and loss, whereas Sans soleil demonstrates the potential of matrixial memory to establish a liminal relationship between past and present.