What do we do when IT’s all said and done? | CHRIS STEINHOFF

What do we do when it’s all said and done looks at the all consuming identity of being an athlete through a series of black and white photographs. Steinhoff’s portraits explore the displacement athletes experience when the sport that provided so much structure, relationships, and dedication is no longer there.

Slideshow of Artwork

Give your about the show, support an emerging artist.

Artist Statement

Since my passion for photography and design has emerged, I have been drawn to the freedom of creation. I create work mainly using the mediums of photography and digital applications such as Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. I also use these applications to digitally manipulate my photographs.

My work is greatly influenced by my past life experiences and choices. I reflect on certain events or time periods to really understand my emotions and how those experiences have had an influence on me to this day. While creating my work, specifically photography, I focus on human interaction. Trying to become so comfortable with my subjects and models that I almost become invisible, letting the subject truly relax and let down their guard.

I have spent most of my life identifying and being surrounded by athletics. Living this double life brings a unique perspective to my work because I have been able to adapt to two very different cultures. My hope is to share my experiences with my viewers so that they can understand a new perspective or connect with my own.

Bio

Chris Steinhoff is a Graphic Design major at Augsburg University, currently in his senior year. Chris was born and raised in St. Paul, MN, and attended Como Park Senior High School. He primarily focuses on photography and design but has been exploring other mediums. For most of his life, Chris has identified solely as an athlete since he played baseball for 15 years.

Recently, Chris made the decision to step away from athletics and focus on other aspects of life. Chris likes to reflect on events and emotions he has experienced through his life specifically on when it was consumed with athletics. He believes this brings a unique perspective to the creative community.

Virtual Mock-up

Due to COVID-19 the show in the physical gallery space has been delayed. Here is a virtual representation of what it will look like in the Gallery720 space.

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INNOVATIEF MAATSCHAPPIJ: INNOVATIVE SOCIETY

September 26–October 30

Reception: Sept. 26, 5:30–7p.m.

This past summer, twenty-one students and two professors traveled to the Netherlands to explore the question “What makes a society innovative?”��Framed through a camera lens and historical thinking, they traced the creative Dutch approaches to agriculture, water management, transportation, and social design.

Gallery 720, Christensen Center

M-F, 10a.m.-7p.m.

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A Reasonable Facsimile

January 10 – February 25, 2011 – Christensen Center Art Gallery

Reception: Friday, January 21, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

In the midst of the millions of text messages sent each day, a group of twelve photographers took eight months to play a visual game of telephone using the U.S. Postal Service. The curator of the project, Michelle Westmark, began the photo chain by sending a 4″x 6″ postcard version of her image to be interpreted by the next photographer on the list. This artist had a two-week window to photographically respond to the image’s subject, content or formal elements and pass a postcard of the new image along, creating a visual and tactile conversation that progressed around the country. While so much of our globally digitalized world speeds along, A Reasonable Facsimile pauses to find connections within a variety of locations and lenses.

Bio

Photographers included in the exhibition are Michelle Westmark (MN), Conor King (CO), Lindsay Borden (WA), Sarah Christianson (CA), Yasmin Etemadi (CA), Sarah Baron (NC), Sarah Stacke (NY), Salma Khalil (DE), Rachel Loischild (MA), Jason Flack (MA), Carl Sweets (IL) and Brett Kallusky (MN).

Michelle Westmark received her B.A. from Bethel University and her M.F.A. from Pratt Institute where she studied photography. She is currently the Gallery Director and an Assistant Professor of Art at Bethel University.

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MARCH��4 – 22, 2018

Christensen Center Student Art Gallery

Reception: Thursday, March 22,��5:30 – 7��p.m. Christensen Center Student Art Gallery

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FEBRUARY��19 – MARCH 1, 2018

Christensen Center Student Art Gallery

Artist Talk: Thursday, March 1,��5:30 – 7��p.m. Christensen Center Student Art Gallery

Beyond The Eyes is a series of photographs documenting three uniquely different African-American women. Inspired by the strong women that surrounded her as she grew up and the cultural intersection of Somali-American, the artist explores the identities that we create and their perspectives on the world around them.

Bio

Hani Mire is a digital illustrator and photographer based in Minneapolis inspired her projects that focus on community. She is currently working on her Beyond the Eyes senior show. She is anticipating her BA in Studio Art from Augsburg University.

Statement

My inspiration comes from my own personal background,especially growing up around strong women and as well as being young a Somali-American who grew up at the intersection of two different cultural viewpoints. Growing up with polar opposite cultures, I’m always finding a way to balance these two different worlds. My identity is an important role that shaped me into who I am as a person today.

Throughout my work, I focus on documenting three uniquely African-American women. I go along on their journey, and I explore my subjects through the lens of a Somali-American woman with a series of portraits and smaller images of each person’s viewpoint. My first subject sees her surroundings, including possessions, to be the most important to her. She brings a glimmer of her artistic upbringing everywhere she calls home. She sees the world through a creative mindset which has always led her to be aware of the world. My second subject uses her makeup sets of foundations and brushes to bring joy into her life. She is motivated to find new ways to be creative but also keep her natural features intact. My third subject finds her faith to be the most important thing in her life. She balances a world of influence with always keeping in mind where she wants to head in life. These three individuals demonstrate not only identity but a statement of being.

I am motivated to continue capturing individuals with complex backgrounds within overlooked communities. I want to show the world not only what they are dealing with in cultures very different from their own but that they are mixing the best of both worlds to make an identity of their own. Each individual uses what they find important to shape their own reality to depict their own understanding of their identity. I’ve followed my three subjects on their journey of finding their own identity, and my goal for this project was to discover how our identity plays a role in our perspective of the world.

images from exhibit

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February��5 – 15, 2018

Christensen Center Student Art Gallery

Artist Talk: Thursday, Feb. 15,��5:30 – 7��p.m. Christensen Center Student Art Gallery

Denouement combines photography and installation to ask questions about the notions of home and our relationship to it. Baboila depicts change in the physical context of home, moving beyond the physical space into one of emotion as he as he explores and poses questions about our memories and experiences of home.

Bio

David Baboila is an artist based out of Saint Paul Minnesota. He primarily makes photographs exploring themes of transition and vacancy. His practice stems from his formal training at Augsburg University and artistic engagement within his community of artists.

Statement

Denouement refers to the point in a literary work where the chain of events come together and the end result of the plot is made clear. This body of work started as the result of my parents marriage ending and impending sale of my childhood home. As the floors were refinished, the furniture moved out, walls repainted, carpets reinstalled, and as sentimental objects were placed into storage, I began to examine my own relationship to the physicality of home as it relates to the memories of the past.

Static, void, and sometimes violent, my images explore the physical home and why it holds emotional significance. The longing for the comfort and familiarity of a home we had or always wanted can be found in the now exposed and deconstructed spaces these images depict. As I confront this experience through this installation, the images move from the context of an objective study to a subjective reflection on our personal memories as they relate to the home.

Denouement calls into question the relationship between the physical space of home and our own emotions, memories and experiences with it. Is our memory or history defined through our experience our objects and spaces? What is the nature of our connection between memory and emotions and these physical elements of home?

Images from Exhibit

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JANUARY 22 –��FEBRUARY��1, 2018

Christensen Center Student Art Gallery

Artist Talk: Thursday, Feb. 1,��5:30 – 7��p.m. Christensen Center Student Art Gallery

Cultural Roots is a series of digital portraits that explore the ways in which culture affects our upbringing and our everyday life.

Bio

Tou Xiong creates digital portraiture through the layering of photography, exposure of images, making photomontages and collaging photos. Xiong explores art through the lens of a first generation Hmong American, exploring both the Hmong culture and the American culture. Prominent themes of his works include self-identity through cultural exploration. Xiong is a Graphic Designer who will receive his BA at Augsburg University in 2018. He currently lives and works in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Statement

Cultural Identity is a series of digital portraits that explores the ways in which culture affects our upbringing and everyday life. Culture is everywhere, whether it is the language we use in our everyday life, the way we dress, the way we think and act, our religious belief, and many more. As a Hmong American, I represented a part of the Hmong culture along with six other individuals.

Adobe Photoshop is the tool used to manipulate these portraits. They consist of blending effects, photomontages, and collages. This method is used to express the characteristics of these people, showcasing different aspects of the Hmong culture. The connection digital art have with culture is a change of generation from traditional art to digital. How I relate this generation gap to the Hmong culture is the idea Hmong Americans have both agreements and disagreements with the current customs and traditions. Growing up as a Hmong American, there are morals and values we learned from the culture of American society which conflicts with some of the Hmong customs and traditions and vice versa.

My artwork is inspired by Marumiyan, a Japanese graphic artist, and Minjae Lee, a Korean artist. These artists work with portraits and incorporates nature into their portraits. Their style really intrigues me as I would recreate it with my current artstyle. All of these ties back to culture as culture is always changing. The influence of another person’s work changes one’s own work. I have experienced several forms of art which includes drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture, and digital art. My style of artwork has changed throughout the years working with art, from traditional drawing to digital art. Change is necessary for one to learn and grow from throughout their journey of finding oneself.

Throughout my experience here at Augsburg University, I have discovered more about my own self-identity. I have grown interest in learning more about my own cultural background and why it is important to learn about one’s own culture. As people look around the gallery, I want people to think about their own cultural identity when they see my work.

Images from Exhibit

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CHELSEA, MA: ALL AMERICAN CITY

January 11 – February 8, 2018

Christensen Center Gallery

Artist Statement

My project is an ever evolving, multidimensional look at Chelsea, Massachusetts, the city where I live. It is the smallest city in Massachusetts, measuring just 2.5 square miles, yet has a population of at least 40 thousand people. Chelsea has historically been a landing spot for new immigrants which makes it a city continuously in flux. The project was initially conceived as a photographic exploration of the ordinary and everyday within this small dense urban environment but it has expanded into a narrative portrait of a specific place and time. Chelsea is a Sanctuary City and has also twice received the All America City Award from the National Civic League. At a time when immigrants are being demonized and the idea of ‘who is an American’ is fiercely contested it feels more vital than ever to explore and document overlapping layers of history, culture, and architecture, to try to define both a singular city in transition and my own personal sense of place.

Image: Orlando, Chelsea, MA, 2008, Gelatin Silver Print, 17×17

Chelsea, MA: all american city – q/a with artist

What inspired you to start this project?

I have always taken photos in and around Chelsea, but I became much more focused on the city in 2008. The project began with a series of urban landscapes and has expanded and evolved since then. As it progressed I became interested in visually exploring many different aspects (street portraits, vernacular architecture, interior space) of this unusual and unique place. The more I look at all of these different layers, the more I continue to be inspired by this place.

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How does this show speak for you as an artist besides it being the town you live in?

I think it summarizes a number of ideas and interests I’ve always brought to my personal work. Curiosity of people and place, the luxury of working on something without any fixed deadline, my interest in portraiture and landscapes as well as the use of black and white film. Also, working on something that is somewhat artistically uncomfortable and where the direction of the work is fluid or unknown.

How often did you take photos for this project?

I have no fixed working method or schedule but I tend to shoot more during the spring, summer and fall when the weather and light are more conducive. During those months how much I photographed varied from every day to a few times a week.

��How has this project changed in the 8-year process? What are your takeaways from making a long-term project such as this?

Initially my plan was to shoot the entire project with medium format black and white film but as it progressed I decided to include digital photographs, both with a DSLR and my cell phone. In addition, I also began collecting found papers and objects that I picked up off the street. Not everything ended up in the show at Augsburg, but they were all very much part of the process.

The takeaway is to be open and let the work take you in the direction that it takes you and not force it to go in a specific, preconceived or predetermined way. For me it’s important for a project to evolve organically and to allow for change. It’s more fun that way. I also feel it’s important to be flexible in your approach.

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How did you select what photos would be in the show?

Since most of the work was shot on film, I did what photographers have always done. I made contact sheets, edited them, made work prints from this edit and then re-edited the work prints. Then I made larger final prints, which were then edited down yet again to the final group that I’ve included in this show.

Part of the editing process was to see how the photos worked not only individually but as part of a much larger group. It is important that each photograph relate to and interact with the other photographs so that the sum total has more impact than any of them independently. My intention is to have the photos work with and inform each other.

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What were your interactions with the people of the town while taking these photos?

Since I was photographing strangers on the street I needed to work quickly. I would introduce myself, explain the project and then ask permission to take their photograph. Not everyone agreed, but I felt it was crucial for the kind of portraits I wanted to make to have permission first. I wanted these street portraits to be a collaboration between myself and the subjects. Later on I worked with a woman from Chelsea who spoke Spanish. This was a huge help, especially with people who were concerned about a stranger who didn’t speak their language wanting to take their photograph. Historically, Chelsea has always been a landing place for new immigrants to our country so this flux is an integral part of the city. It is deeply embedded in the fabric of this place.

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What do you hope the people of your town take from your view of them in this show?

I hope they see it as a subjective yet honest look at a complicated place.

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How do you think time will affect this show?

It’s hard to predict, but I think the work will hold up. It’s a multilayered visual document of a specific time and place but in some ways the urban environment and the people who live there are timeless.

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Who are the artists that inspire you?

There are many but for this project the portraits of Mary Ellen Mark and Milton Rogovin. Zoe Leonard and Lee Friedlander’s landscapes (particularly ‘Analogue’ and ‘Sticks and Stones: Architectural America’). William Eggleston was also a huge inspiration and influence.

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Will you continue to build from this piece as an ongoing project?

Even though I’m exhibiting a large portion of the work at Augsburg, it doesn’t feel completely finished. There are still things I want to photograph that I haven’t gotten around to or haven’t discovered yet. I’m not ready to stop work on this project; it’s still very exciting to me.

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What art projects do you have planned after this show?

A few ideas are percolating in my mind but nothing specific yet. I’m considering a series of urban and natural landscapes using a medium format panoramic film camera.

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What advice would you give to aspiring artists?

Work on ideas or projects that you are passionate about and keep working long past the time when you think you’re ‘finished’. Don’t be in a rush to complete the work; it isn’t a race. The job of the artist is to ‘make stuff’ so enjoy the process and the journey. It’s the best part.

Questions by Gallery Intern Maria Fleischhacker

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FoR the Gods

April 26 – July 31, 2018

Reception: April 24, 6 – 8 p.m.

For the Gods is an exhibition of photographs that considers various facets of India’s economic and social structure in the wake of globalization. The photographs are designed to communicate contrasts within current environmental and economic realities in India, and to raise questions of cause and effect, within our small world of finite resources.
Priscilla Briggs is a fiscal year 2018 recipient of an Artist Initiative Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Artist Statement

For the Gods is an exhibition of photographs that considers various facets of India’s economic and social structure in the wake of globalization. While the caste system is technically illegal, it is embedded in centuries of social and religious belief. The already wide contrast between rich and poor has been compounded by globalization and its effect on the environment. These photographs are designed to communicate contrasts within current environmental and economic realities in India. A gleaming pool within a gated community contrasts with the river of toxic foam that flows a short distance from its gates. The intent of this work is to raise questions of cause and effect, within our small world of finite resources.

The title for the exhibit comes from an experience I had while visiting the Golden Temple in Varanasi. As I lifted a garland of flowers from my basket of offerings to breathe in the aroma, the temple guide stopped me short and informed me, “The smell is not for you, it is for the gods.”

Bio

Priscilla Briggs is an artist and an Associate Professor at Gustavus Adolphus College. She holds a Master of Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art. Her research has been supported by artist grants from the McKnight Foundation and the Minnesota State Arts Board, as well as various professional research grants. Her work has been exhibited internationally at venues such as the Landskrona Photo Salon in Sweden, the National Galleries of Scotland, the Minneapolis International Film Festival, the DeVos Art Museum, The Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Louisville Photo Biennial, and the Living Arts New Genre Festival in Tulsa, OK. Her artist monograph, Impossible Is Nothing: China’s Theater of Consumerism, was published last year by Daylight Books.

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Overlook / Sugar Street by Brett Kallusky

April 26 – July 31, 2018

Reception: April 26, 6 – 8 p.m.

Brett Kallusky will exhibit photographic prints and sculpture from��his ongoing project:��Overlook / Sugar Street. The exhibition explores one microcosm in the nascent economy of renewable energy—that of the Santa Maria Landfill, and the surrounding landscape — ��which is part of a much larger cycle of land management, consumption, and waste.

Bio

Brett Kallusky is an assistant professor in the Art Department at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls where he teaches photography. He has been the recipient of two Minnesota State Arts Board Grants, a Fulbright to Italy, and a Fulbright Travel Grant. His work has been exhibited regionally, nationally and internationally in solo and group exhibitions. Kallusky has been a regular student portfolio reviewer at SPE (Society for Photographic Education) national conferences since 2012. He lives and maintains his studio practice in Minneapolis, MN.

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