Nina Englund: BFA Artist Talk

Facilitated by Western Gallery intern Sydney Durst

Artist Statement

The 2024 presidential election had exceptionally high stakes attached to it due to a list of disturbing actions that republican nominee Donald Trump swore to take if elected, such as eliminating the Department of Education, reversing protections for LGBTQ+ individuals, conducting mass deportations and ending birthright citizenship. Fast forwarding to today, Trump has kept many of his promises – and is pushing forward changes that are slowly erasing the systemic progress that this country has made towards truly being the land of the free. These three artworks were created to highlight different systemic issues – white supremacy/racism, women’s rights, and gun violence, which have been given a renewed opportunity to thrive under the Trump administration.

My artistic process utilizes screen-printed material made from a variety of sources, many of which are advertisements. I use a repetitive technique of layering up material and tearing it away while considering the emotional impact of how the images interact. I also integrate acrylic medium image transfers, embedding photographic imagery and text within numerous layers of material. I’m interested in how our constant interactions with the aggressive consumer culture of this country combined with the pressure of the political climate affect the way we perceive ourselves and others, and how it affects our actions. With every rip and tear I reveal hidden information that demands the attention of the viewer, intervening with the instinctual desire to pick apart a mass of visual elements.