Kally Malcom

Pictograph

May 2 - July 2, 2014

I am interested in how objects can serve as powerful symbols of our experiences. Some objects become emblematic of self, while others may symbolize other people. Objects can be tied to specific events in our lives, and can serve as evidence of a moment.

In the Pictograph series, I explore personal narratives by constructing still life scenes that offer subtle suggestions of an underlying story. The images function as visual metaphors by utilizing color, pattern and object. These elements reference people, places, and events from my past but the symbols are intentionally vague. This vagueness offers a rich visual experience, but denies a literal read.

The backgrounds and objects I incorporate into the work echo the Midwest craft-centric culture from which I hail. The fanciful colors, floral motifs, and repetitious patterns, create a sense of homespun beauty that draws the viewer in for a closer look. Much like these backdrops, there is a sense of romance about growing up in a sleepy rural area surrounded by farm fields and dirt roads. The gauzy remembrances of climbing giant cottonwood trees and attending family gatherings on Sunday after church make me long for this place and that time.

As I experience life in adulthood, far away from the place and people I came from, I find that my sense of self and identity are inextricably linked to rural, Midwest culture. I weigh my successes and failures against a deeply imprinted set of values that insist on maintaining a façade of simple beauty and total normalcy no matter the reality.

That thin veil between how things are and how things ought to be is something of great interest to me. Through this series I explore nuance and façade and give an account of my experiences from my own perspective. The constructed scenes carry a subtle tension between the visual elements, and they give evidence to a more complex narrative taking shape.

ABOUT THE ARTIST: Kally Malcom is a photographer whose work and research explores place, personal history, and identity. Her images employ a range of photographic processes and move between the studio and the natural world. Selections from her recent work have been exhibited nationally and internationally, including the Schneider Museum of Art in Ashland, Oregon; Northlight Gallery, in Phoenix, AZ; Marion Center for Photographic Arts in Santa Fe, NM; and the Pingyao International Photography Festival, in Pingyao, China. Her images have been published in F-Stop Magazine, The Hand Magazine, WPR Wisconsin Life online, and the Huffington Post. Kally’s photographs are held in numerous private collections throughout the United States. Kally holds an MFA from New Mexico State University, an A.A.S in commercial photography from Metropolitan Community College and a B.A. in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is an Associate Professor of Photography at the University of North Florida. http://www.kallymalcom.com/