Chad Hansen
Gallery Affiliations: Linda Hodges Gallery
Region: Midwest
My work takes ownership of the past and explains the origins of the United States of America: it is an allegorical body of work that equips the viewer with a alternate entry point for the viewing of the events of the past portrayed in history books. I do so by manufacturing documents and artifacts from the past, which looks as if it came out of the time it is depicting. I combine the work of early American artists (who intended to provide a document of the times they lived in for the future generations), with the work of self-taught artists (who are depicting a world they believe should exist). The result is a narrative that is both historical and fantastical. These pieces build upon this combined narrative form to explore the roots of this country as it moved from a series of colonies to a nation of corporate entities.