CAITLIN LARSEN
Winona, MN, USA.
Winona State University
ART377: The Constructed Photograph
Created under the guidance of Professor Roger Boulay
This photo was shown as part of a class exhibition, "Americana in Focus," at Peter's Biergarten in Winona, MN in Fall of 2024.
Exhibition Statement:
"Americana is a theme that evokes an ever-expanding range of imagery. From nostalgia and history to criticism and love, Americana is ripe with possibilities in photography. For this project, each student in the Studio Photography and the Constructed Photograph classes selected an image that fit their concept of Americana.
For many of us, this exhibition marks the first time we are seeing our work on such a grand scale, and the process of embarking on this journey into public art has been incredibly meaningful. Within this gallery, there are a variety of approaches to the theme of Americana: some students chose to use a historical perspective, some a critical view, and other drew upon American imagery and the idea of the 'American dream.'
We chose black and white images to create contrast against the red brick wall. The monochrome format also complements the high-contrast nature of many of our photographs. For the photos displayed in the three pergolas, we dug into several archives to select images that best fit, positioning them in the center of each pergola to create frames within frames.
Using a technique called wheatpasting, with the help of professors Kay Hannahan and Roger Boulay, along with artist Isaac Campbell, we proudly showcase our work. Due to the nature of wheatpasting, this gallery will naturally decay over time. We cannot predict how long the installation will remain in its current state - a somewhat ironic twist on the concept of photography as a way to capture moments forever. Though our images will fade and change, our memories of the experience will remain with us.
Thank you for being part of both our permanence and impermanence."
Artist Statement:
"During the process of taking photos for this mural, I found myself looking through a lot of windows - literally. It wasn't so much the windows themselves that interested me, but what might lie behind them. When I was exploring the Winona County Historical Society, I suddenly stumbled upon this unexpected window and was intrigued by how it gave me just a glimpse of the past and of a very traditional sense of Americana."
https://tinyurl.com/AmericanaInFocus