Emily Grimes Gallery Talk at Burling Gallery

August 22 - November 2, 2008
Gallery Talk: Emily Grimes
October 1, 4:15 p.m.
Burling Gallery, Burling Library

Artist's Statement
For many years, I have photographed the landscapes of one Iowa farm. I have seen thousands of individually planted seedlings become acres of forest. I have marveled at the explosion of plant growth after a controlled prairie burn. The ponds and wetlands, constructed over the years from poorly utilized farm ground, now support a panoply of wildlife. Flowing around and between the wetlands, prairie plantings, grasslands and woodlands are the endless, undulating fields of corn and soybeans.

One farm, many landscapes, must be thoughtfully and carefully managed, if the hope is to restore the rich bounty of the land. Constructing a balanced ecosystem that celebrates and protects the biodiversity of the natural world while simultaneously promoting respectful, sustainable cultivation of the land is a task that will forever be a work in progress.

About the Artist
Emily lives in Chicago, Illinois and spends a great deal of time on the family farm in Marshalltown, Iowa. Her photographic work has most recently been exhibited in solo shows at Images Gallery, Chicago, 2004, 2005, in a traveling group show sponsored by The Prairie Enthusiasts and the Wisconsin Humanities Council, Wisconsin and Illinois, 2006 and in a solo show at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, Iowa, 2007.

Her cameras of choice are holgas, a Canon 20D and a Tachihara 4x5 field camera. Her work encompasses both darkroom and digital processes.