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Kathryn Cellerini

The Arts Center Exhibitions:

• 'Portals,' Winter Show & Silent Auction, 2011

Artist's Statement:

story time
inkjet video still on archival paper, hand-drawn solar plate on mitsumata paper, screen print on tulle, rice paste

I have been living halfway between New York City and the eastern-most point of Long Island, Montauk, for the last two and a half years. During this time, I’ve taken notice of the numerous differences between Long Island and the Willamette Valley—especially in terms of the culture, the climate, and terrain. A couple of months ago, it occurred to me that barns are almost nonexistent on the island, and I realized how much I miss seeing them when driving or walking along a country road. Longing for home, I began to investigate the connections between memory, identity, and place. My memories of playing in and investigating barns on our family farm are so vivid that they have become a strong part of my identity and a symbol of strength and tenacity in my artwork.

Barn Play, 2011, is a still photograph from a short video.  The image is a frozen moment where I am playing with a hand-made wooden toy behind an antique barn window that I acquired while on vacation in Oregon. The camera lens acted as a portal for the viewer to peer into an imaginary barn where, as an adult, I still play, discover, and inspect what is behind the dusty glass.  The Snohomish, WA Barn, 2011, is a hand-drawn solar print of an actual barn that is sadly and gracefully deteriorating.

Visit Kathryn Cellerini's website.