ARTIST STATEMENT
“The unrelenting screen time brought about by online meetings, teaching, and socializing during quarantine became a forced digital frenzy. The distinction between home and work became diffuse. For relief, I created a private retreat out of sight of the camera background consisting of a table equipped with a collection of daily detritus from which emerged a series of collages. Assembling collages each day allowed me to hit pause and indulge in a satisfying meditative experience. Each compositional calisthenic provided an endorphin reset for my screen-stressed brain. In keeping with quarantine, only items on hand were used. As time passed, the series provided surprising revelations of meaning. The materials reveal a portrait of my life in the scraps saved, the food box bases, the shiny objects that demanded to be picked up on walks, and the failed material experiments from other works. Each collage is posted on my website where friends select one that visually resonates with them. Making a gift of each collage nurtured connections in a time of social isolation. The chosen collage is often a revelation to me and serves as a portrait of the chooser. An archive of the work is kept on the website labeled with each recipient and their location. Viewing the series reveals an unexpected map of a community of meaningful connections.
The Covid Collage series reminded me of the importance of slowing down and the power of being lost in the process of making. The unassuming materials and nature reflect the meditative peace I found in the ritual of making them. This series provided me with finite focus and solace in a chaotic time of uncertainty and isolation.”
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Stephanie Cunningham is an artist, designer & educator with Midwest roots who currently resides in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Santa Fe, New Mexico. She earned an MFA from the University of Notre Dame and a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute.
Frequent recurring themes in her work include multiples and repetition in both process and form. Her work reveals a desire to make personal themes universal. She often uses text to cue meaning. She makes use of a carefully crafted symbolic material language, audience engagement, and an exploration of process in her work. Cunningham has exhibited widely and is recognized by a number of awards and acquisitions. Her work has appeared in publications including Prix Ars Electronica, The Computer in the Visual Arts, and Eye Magazine.