Nothing But Flowers

“Prairie garden is an exploration of Midwestern landscapes. Often known as flyover country, the Great Plains scenery, history, and culture are often overlooked or ignored. This region has a large history that is rooted in Western cowboy culture, indigenous land and stories, and enduring pioneers. Using a combination of digital and alternative photographic processes, the series shows picturesque dreamland sown from a seed of truth, as all elaborate mythologies begin. My work uses the archive, history, and social contexts to create conversations through images. My style is firmly rooted in a theoretical approach to the documentary tradition, working in the moment with larger concepts as the driving force. Ideas of authenticity in photography and storytelling play a parallel role in my practice. My image meanings are shifted in exhibition using installation techniques influenced by regional aesthetics and mixed-media approaches. While creating imagery, my work is strongly rooted in research, challenging the preconceived notions we have about place, people, and the stories we tell.”

— Epiphany Knedler