Death in the Midwest: Grieving a Sister in Rural Missouri

Abstract

As an artist, I am influenced by my background growing up in rural Missouri and with the tragedies I have faced in my personal life, including the suicide of my older sister, Kiernan. Through scenes of farmland and forests, I explore memories with my sister, the absence she has left, and my relationship with death. I consider the physical process of dead things breaking down and decomposing as well as the emotions that arise as a witness to these events. Combining my interest in classic literature, philosophy and nature, I examine my art and poetry in relation to the landscape that surrounded me during most of my life experiences.