March 16, 2008: Exhibits at MCP
Continuing This Month
Priscilla Briggs
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Minnesota Projects Gallery:
Priscilla Briggs + Global Market
February 16 to April 27, 2008
Bio
Priscilla Briggs is a photo and video artist living in Minneapolis, MN. She earned her M.F.A. in Photography and Digital Imaging from Maryland Institute College of Art in 2000 and her B. A. in Graphic and Language Arts from Carnegie Mellon University in 1989. Her videos have been screened in various venues such as the Charles Theater in Baltimore, MD, the Women's Caucus for the Arts International Film Festival in Boston, MA, and the School of Visual Arts in New York, NY. Her various installation works have been exhibited at the Manchester Craftsman's Guild in Pittsburgh, PA, Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, MN; and the Art Center of St. Peter in St. Peter, MN. Briggs currently works as a Professor of Studio Art at Gustavus Adolphus College.
Statement
As an artist, I have questioned the nature of human desire and identity as they are shaped and reflected within the context of a capitalist society, believing that the systems in which we live shape us in ways we are often unaware. These images continue this exploration, but push beyond national boundaries to enter a Global Market. They examine shopping malls and tourist markets from various regions of the world, focusing on the reciprocal relationship between cultural identity, the nature of merchandise for sale, and advertising images. Within any market, advertising influences the fluctuating balance between supply and demand in that it helps to create desire for merchandise. Within the global market, this dynamic is further complicated by sometimes surreal intersections of culture, as well as imbalances of national wealth and cultural influence. And within tourist markets, the objects for sale are often more a reflection of tourist expectations than an authentic representation of the toured. The global market connects us to one another the world over. So, while "to shop or not to shop" may seem a trivial question, there are many spiritual, environmental and social issues, both domestic and global, that are linked to our consumer habits.
web links:
www.mnartists.org
