Beaver Tales: Portrait of an artist at work
By Dan Fagan
University Communications
publicinformation@minotstateu.edu
MINOT, N.D. – As a child, when someone would ask her what she wanted to be when she grew up, Hannah Streccius '18 always had the same answer — I want to be an artist.
Fast-forward to today and Streccius has made good on her word. Her latest exhibition, “Sommerreisen: Memories,” a collection of photographs taken by Streccius on a trip to Germany in 2019, was on display in Hartnett Hall Gallery from Jan. 28 to Feb. 14.
“I did intend on making a body of work of my observations when I left for Germany,” Streccius, who is of German descent, said. “That’s where my work is leaning towards now, deadpan, documentarian-style photography.”
Streccius prefers to use a film camera, as opposed to digital, because it forces her to be more deliberate in her shot selection as she is not able to see any of her images until they are developed. For her trip to Germany, she used a 35 mm camera and traditional photographic techniques.
“The photographs have a feeling of openness that, I think, makes it easier for the viewer to relate to and connect with,” Streccius said.
This was not Streccius’ first exhibition at Minot State. As an art student, Streccius’ work was regularly featured around campus, culminating in a solo-photography exhibition in 2018, “Mise-En-Scene: Stories in Stills,” which was also her senior capstone project.
While “Mise-En-Scene,” took months of planning, Streccius admitted that “Sommerreisen: Memories,” manifested in a matter of weeks.
“One of the things that we added aside from the photos was a sitting area, so I brought in some unique furniture that added to the hominess of the exhibition,” Streccius said. “It was much less stressful than my senior show, which was really nice since exhibition openings can usually be hectic.”
Streccius is already planning her next project, an open-ended road trip through various national parks in the Western half of the country.
“I’m not exactly planning a show out of it at this point, but I’m going into it with a mind on looking for interesting colors and subjects that wouldn’t normally be found in National Geographic,” she said.
For Streccius, this is her approach as an artist — seeing the world in a new way. And the journey continues.
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| Published: 04/27/20 |
