Kari Laine

For the exhibit:

The Rhizome Remains is the result of a serendipitous series of connections which ultimately led to my introduction to the evocative work of photographer, Kari Laine, and the beginning of our video conference consultation. Her glass plate series of constructed vignettes were fully realized. 

Our work focused on editing, sequencing and contextualing to make it exhibition ready. I enthusiastically sought the opportunity to exhibit her work and the Granary responded first. I contributed to the accompanying text found on the Granary Arts website and an exhibit catalogue here.

A visual artist based in the Midwest, Kari Laine grew up in an artistic and artisan family. As a child, she explored the river, streams, and woods of Wisconsin’s countryside, and she now draws inspiration from ghost stories, mythical figures, and the spirits of the land that surround her family home and studio. Through glass-plate photography, Kari explores the possibility that small, found objects—seemingly insignificant and often overlooked, viewed as trash or junk—can be remade through a story that gives them agency, a kind of power or voice. This, she hopes, will encourage the viewer to walk softer on this earth, to have more intelligent and sustainable engagements with vibrant matter and all living things. Kari Laine is currently a MA Visual Critical Studies Candidate at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, focusing on glass-plate photography and ecological sustainability.

Installation Video