Dis/Connection - Julia Scheckel and Hunter Louis

September 10th-30th, 2021.
Gallery Hours: Fridays, 4-8PM, Saturdays, 12-4PM.
Closing Reception: Sat, Sept. 25th, 12-6PM.

Julia Scheckel

My approach to creating imagery starts with the act of carrying around a  camera. While going through daily life, or during special adventures,  imagery will jump out at me, and in that moment I know that I need to  record it. These flashes of connection are often inspired by the sublime  qualities of nature, or cherished moments of friendship. I reproduce these  experiences through printmaking. The act of making prints combines my  love of working in the photography darkroom with my love for drawing.  Shown in this exhibition are some of my recent screenprints. This process  is done by using a light sensitive emulsion coated on screens to make  stencils, which ink is then pushed through, creating an image on paper.  Crafting these prints is a time consuming process which allows me to  relive the moments being depicted. 

Spending time with nature is an escape from the chaos that surrounds  me. Being alone in the forest lets me empty my mind of trivial things,  giving me a better perspective of the bigger picture. I could watch Lake  Michigan for hours and let the tides wash away my anxieties. Most of my  imagery comes from Wisconsin, which is where I have lived my whole life.  It took me a long time to appreciate the gifts that this land gives us,  especially around the great lakes. I try to celebrate this region of the  world so others explore what’s in their own backyard. 

The other living elements in my work are some of the people that I love.  When camping or hiking, the camaraderie that transpires is very special.  Pitching a tent in the rain or spending extensive hours in the car can  bring out the best qualities in people if you’re spending time with the right  ones. When things get tough, friends often show their dedication to each  other and come out stronger on the other side. My connection to the earth  and my favorite people is highlighted in the images here. Spending hours  drawing these scenes lets me spend time in those moments of peace  again. 

juliascheckel.com

Hunter Louis

My artistic interests and work lie within the realms of illustration and  printmaking, and the translation of one to another. My work exists across the  stages and processes of drawing, both physically and digitally, and  printmaking, primarily screenprinting. Figurative and colorful, my creations  are a playground for whimsical characters to live out their experiences. The  characters invite viewers to celebrate the things that we feel as humans, face  up to darkness that we all experience from time to time, and find the humor  in it while doing so. 

Welcome to the Wasteland is a series of posters introducing viewers to the  characters Flipsy and Potnik and their home, the Wasteland. The Wasteland  is a post-apocalyptic world overrun by disease, violence, corruption, and  wealth-hoarding overlords. Flipsy and Potnik closely resemble the  archetypes of the fool and the hermit, two sides of my personality that I have  tended to switch between amidst the confusion and changes prompted by  events over the past year. There is an implied connection between the two  characters, but the nature of their relationship is unclear. What is clear is that  when push comes to shove, as long as there is someone in your corner,  you’re in a better place than you could be. 

The series illustrates the absurd nature of an uncertain world. To me the  posters are stories without a beginning or end (though they may have those  at some point), like a journal in a time capsule from a parallel world. There  are no heroes in the Wasteland, only the people who make it to the next day. 

Welcome to the Wasteland acknowledges that our world and environmentisn’t always the greatest while also implying that despite this it can be endured by those who are willing to try and those who accept help.

theworldofhunnerlouis.com