ARTIST STATEMENT

 

My name is Meg Farrar and I am a photographer and art researcher based in New York City.My artwork explores the relationship between identity and ones personal history. There is a subtlety to my more recent work, compared to my earlier, more conceptual work. As I move forward as a maker, I find that my interest in history and research have begun to influence my photography. Issues of ethics, culture, and climate change are topics that have began to appear in my process. One of my past series explored the history of hand painted photographs in Japan from the “Sakoku” period. A more recent project of mine reflected on the impacts of climate change. It explored the effects of toxic waste and pollution on the human body. The results are saturated and textural images that convey the feeling of chemical burns and suffocation. 

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I initially studied photography in university, however once learning about the problematic history and continued controversies, I was hesitant to participate in the field. The shocking roots that photography had, made me wonder what else I didn’t know about art, and how art can be used as a tool to investigate historical events, environments, religion, and politics. I became fascinated with decoding art and using it as a tool, engulfing myself with visual history can often times feel like time travel.

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My research encompasses the study of global arts, with a focus on the historical ties between religion, politics, and material culture. I’m very concerned with the racism and “othering” in art institutions and academia. I especially see these issues arise within the academic language and outdated terminology used in the identification and ownership of art. The unpacking and acknowledgment of these problematic histories is the first step in creating change. A professional goal of mine is to contribute to a more inclusive and diverse environment for art.