The Iowa Hall Art Gallery at Kirkwood Community College welcomes an exhibition by Kai Plews: "Jumping Fences."
The exhibit runs Sept. 2-26, with a reception on Thursday, Sept. 4, 3:30–5 p.m. Free and open to the public.
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Artist Statement
Show Title: Jumping Fences
Many of the places and people who gave my life form and direction are gone, changed, or forgotten. I could see only glimpses of what once was, in what is now. I hunted for those places from my memories. I only found small comfort in what was left.
I walked the land, jumped the fences, and explored the secret places on the fringes of world. I discovered the stories of the land, of the places built by sweat and toil, on dreams and hopes. These were communities that shared their burdens and their triumphs.
The communities are gone now. The people, their lives, and stories are forgotten. Turned under the plow and returned to the earth. Progress will grow here and nothing of the old world will be left.
These images reflect the past, created using a blend of old and new processes. These are places I found on my travels that are facsimiles to those places in my memory. Many of the places in these images are gone now as well. This world was overlooked and now it is forgotten.
Only the images remain.
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Kai Plews Bio
Kai Plews is a photographer and educator from Iowa City. He is a fine art and commercial photographer with a specialization in traditional and alternative photographic processes. An Iowa native, Kai earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography from the University of South Dakota and his Master of Fine Arts from the University of Iowa.
His work deals with the intersection of rural communities with the socio-economic and environmental impacts of agribusiness. Kai is a strong supporter of environmental and social justice especially as it relates to rural and disenfranchised communities.
Kai also teaches photography. He is currently a Photography and Design instructor here at Kirkwood Community College after moving out of an adjunct position he held for a couple of years. Kai has a strong commitment to access in education and is excited to continue that mission in a larger role here at Kirkwood Community College.
