Artist: Addison Graham
Exhibition Title:  This Must Be Ektachrome
Exhibition Dates: April 22 - 26, 2024
Reception and Gallery Talk:  April 25, 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. (talk at 6:00 p.m.)

Artist's Statement

I have had a profound connection to nature since childhood, growing up exploring the Ouachita and Ozark mountains in Arkansas. However, my interactions with nature coexist with human-made structures such as power lines, architectural features, and pathways. Nature has been affected by human interaction, including buildings, walkways, and invasive species. A location is not simply an aesthetically pleasing location with waterfalls and trees but a place for contemplation, reflection, and memorable phenomenon. 

Emotions and the environment intertwine to create transformative, intangible experiences. How can a landscape evoke nostalgia? How can emotions be so powerful that they defy description? As an artist, I use a range of mediums to explore these questions, choreographing colors, shapes, and light. I use various materials and colors to create diverse environments and reflect the complexities of life. My techniques include photography, printmaking, and sculpture. 

My work explores landscapes, optics, memories, paradoxical thoughts, and psychological experiences influenced by nature. It is interdisciplinary, and I often blend different mediums to communicate the context of my artwork. To begin my creative process, I venture outdoors and capture Ektachrome photographs with a Bell and Howell Stereo Realist camera from the 1950s-60s. These serve as standalone pieces and inspiration for my work in different mediums.

Artist Biography

Addison Graham, a fine artist from Fort Smith, Arkansas, obtained her BFA from Arkansas Tech University in 2020. Actively engaged in the Arkansas Society of Printmakers and serving as president of the Artist Guild on campus, Graham has exhibited her work in numerous galleries and museums across Arkansas and internationally in Taiwan. Notable accomplishments include participation in the inaugural student solo exhibition at the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum in 2019 and being selected as the sole printer for visiting artist Mark Dion in 2023. Graham's diverse experiences include interning at The Half and Half, teaching printmaking workshops at the Columbia Museum of Art, and working as a graduate instructor of record for drawing and painting classes at the School of Visual Art and Design.