ARTIST STATEMENT
My work explores the romanticization of and ways we engage with history. Using Midwestern aesthetics, use the archive, history, and social contexts to create conversations through imagery and installation. Location plays an important role in my work; I recognize the ways my personal identity can shift based on local environments, memories, and histories. My work is rooted in research and analysis, whether in the community, through travel, or my own history. Using photographs, found objects, and imagery, I construct a dialogue about how we interpret and repeat our histories. This often takes shape in the exploration of the Great Plains iconography and mythology. These critiques form around the commodification of our histories and those that are overlooked. The romance and sentimental history of region conceals casualties, erasure of culture, and environmental loss. My work allows me to express personal narratives while investigating the larger historical and contemporary social and political narratives. I am drawn to the ways these narratives have been shared throughout history: the New Topographics’ urban landscapes, Pop Art’s use of kitsch, the YBA’s indelible critiques using everyday objects, and the Rococo’s subtly evocative stories. The explorations of these works create an advancement in the creative field following the cultural shift of sharing untold histories, inclusivity, and critiquing social and political narratives.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Epiphany Knedler is an interdisciplinary artist + educator exploring the ways we engage with history. She is inspired by the aesthetics and geopolitical landscapes of the Midwest, surveying the storied past of bold exploration and quiet melancholy. She graduated from the University of South Dakota with a BFA in Studio Art and a BA in Political Science and completed her MFA in Studio Art with an emphasis in Photography at East Carolina University. She is based in Aberdeen, South Dakota, serving as a Lecturer of Art and the co-curator for the art collective Midwest Nice Art. Her work has been exhibited in the New York Times, Vermont Center for Photography, Lenscratch, Dek Unu Arts, and awarded through the Lucie Foundation, F-Stop Magazine, and Photolucida Critical Mass.
© Epiphany Knedler