A Conversation with Mairin Narron

Mairin Narron

No Added Sugar!

KP: Where do you see this work existing long term? Like a gallery, commercial building, hotel?

MN: Gallery or community center.

 
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KP: Will this be an ongoing project for you?

 MN: Yes! I think I will always create work pertaining to women's rights.

KP: For those that may not know, what's the significance of the materials used?

MN: I make and use hard candy in all of my work to be ironic. My series, which includes No Added Sugar!, is called Unsweet and it equates overwhelming sexist ideals, such as being sweet, to over-indulging in sugar. The series is called Unsweet because I like to think of myself as rebelling against these ideals.

 

A Conversation with May McCalmon

May McCalmon

One of My Homes

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KP: If you were to give an artist talk about the work, what would be the key thing you would want us to take away from it that we may not automatically see? 

MM: My goal is for viewers to take away a feeling of nostalgia of their own lives. I realize that many people may not have had a positive childhood experience, but I also hope to address how those memories may be bittersweet. If someone decided to call their mom after seeing my show, I would find that an extremely endearing response to my work. Connections to loved ones are so important when life gets away from us.

 

KP: With your paintings, was there any or what painting do you feel was the most challenging to create?

MM: My painting "Phyllis" is based of a photograph of my grandmother, so I felt a lot of pressure to capture her energy in that painting as well as to represent her features accurately. In other paintings that have more blocks of color I found some challenges because I was painting in a newer style by incorporating those flatter aspects. 

 

A Conversation with Epiphany Knedler

Epiphany Knedler

Wish You Were Here

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KP: What was the starting point for your body of work Wish You Were Here?

EK: Plans for Wish You Were Here began during my second year of graduate school. After focusing the first year and a half on a heavily socio-political community project, I decided it was time to switch gears. I had some trouble finding inspiration and went back to my roots. I realized most of my favorite moments of looking and seeing came from when my dad would take us on roadtrips around South Dakota when we were kids, since there wasn't a lot to do in our hometown. From there, I started to think more about the Midwest and what would bring people from outside to the area.

KP: Is this going to be an ongoing project?

EK: I hope so! My partner and I had a great time traveling. We are considering making trips with other region-specific attractions in the near future.

 

KP: In your recent installation at Wellington B. Gray Gallery, what is the significance of the variety of sizes you choose for display?

EK: With this exhibition, I wanted to play with the idea of what is real and artificial. Gift shops and museums at these roadside attractions often recreate a moment of history or story with their displays. I wanted to recreate this sense with my images, where the viewer takes on the role of the tourist within the space. The large images are meant to be able to interact with, whether it is sitting on the bench viewing the Crazy Horse Memorial or taking a selfie at Mount Rushmore. The other images hung salon-style are representative of the Americana or kitsch style of the Midwest. These places are often filled with iconography of the Wild West and landscapes with more than there is space to fill the walls. The remaining images took up as much wall space as possible. The postcards were printed to postcard size, as they were actually sent in the mail. These images give all types of opportunities for interaction, from hand-held to full-body interaction.

BFA & MFA Students - Have your thesis shows on Dore!

ATTENTION COLLEGE SENIORS & GRADUATE STUDENTS!

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This announcement is for any college senior/graduate students who are currently seeking a BFA or MFA in Photography, Video, Printmaking, Painting, & Sculpture from any college in the USA. If you need to have a thesis exhibition to meet your requirements for graduation, you can it via The Dore Collective for free!

Go over to SUBMIT - BFA/MFA Show Submissions and fill out the form

We have the capacity to have 2 shows per week, but if you need a longer duration please let us know!