(i) introduction
(ii) subject
(iii) premise
(iv) about the artists
(v) support the project
one — this project fixes as its central/focal point [or: centers on] a specific site located in the Appalachian foothills of the Southeastern US. It is conceived as an extension of the practices of two resident artists, and is operates as a preservation and expression of material remembering, as well as political praxis.
With a focus on the tangible residues of lived experiences, the project seeks to attune perceptions of materials, objects, [sites/spaces], and structures as conveyors of memory. This endeavor holds the subject—a particular location that includes woods and a domestic structure built in 1935—as significant [in its recollection of its past].
Cross-disciplinary methods inform the investigation and preservation of the site’s material history. This includes excavation and comprehensive documentation of objects and materials belonging to the sire, a kind of domestic archaeology*. Longterm, construction of a digital material archive of these items serves as groundwork for eventual exhibition.
Research begins with the contents, features, and nature of the site. External source materials including local individuals, library and university archives, various scholarly and commercial publications, periodicals, manuals, and catalogs. This work seeks to meaningfully contextualize memory of the site’s past—historically, economically, environmentally, culturally, and regionally. Resulting information is included in the digital material archive.
Distinctions must be made between various methods used in conjunction with the project. Preservation, generally, involves protecting objects or structures from destruction with minimal to no change, and any necessary repairs use the same materials and methods as when the item was first constructed. Renovation connotes making an object appear new, while restoration attempts to return it to its original condition. In a museum or archival setting items are approached with conservation in mind, meaning they are altered as little as possible, and are preserved in their current condition. Conservation abstains from artistic choice and experimentation. Because age and patina contains and expresses the lived experience of objects renovation, or making something appear new is generally avoided. The items themselves determine their own categories—many are preserved or conserved, but in many instances restoration must be employed to achieve the function and safety of the site.
This project, conceived of and executed by artists, is sourced in the DIY ethic. Because of this the participation includes performing a wide variety of layperson roles: that of amateur preservationist, carpenter, framer, drywaller, painter, electrician, plumber, designer, architect, finish worker, landscaper, ecologist, historian, and archaeologist. This self-education process, alongside budget limitations, and day jobs impact the pace of work. At this time, if you would like to support this project in the form of sharing historical, regional, ecological, or architectural resources, archives, or information, please email meganwinegardner@gmail.com. If you would like to assist the project’s pace of work through a financial contribution, consider the purchase of works donated by or resident artists at the Support the Project webpage.
*per wikipedia:
Archaeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscapes. Archaeology can be considered both a social science and a branch of the humanities.
two — the subject, a site
three — premise
four — participating artists
megan winegardner’s work focuses on the tangible residues of lived experiences, and she seeks to attune perception toward objects as conveyors of material remembering. In her work collected items tell of the past in a silent, wordless language, expressing their memories through the patina and fragmentation of their surfaces and communicating the fragile and visible nature of recollections
she received her master of fine arts from the university of nevada reno in 2022 after completing a bachelor of fine arts degree in 2018 from southern adventist university near chattanooga, tennessee. she now lives in chattanooga and teaches fine art classes, alongside her endeavors to with remember, restore, and preserve a 1935 historic home.
instagram @m.winegardner meganwinegardner@gmail.com
dylan thomas is an artist from Chattanooga, Tennessee. He graduated in 2019 with his B.F.A. in Fine Art from Southern Adventist University. Through performance, video, sculpture, zines, and other works on paper he utilizes mystical practice to describe the outer surface of secret things. His work has appeared several times at Chattanooga’s Artists’ Visual Association (A.V.A), a variety of independent group shows, as well as the 2019 Adventist English Association Conference. Thomas’ work has been published in Cicada Review, and he recently co-created a zine (We Are Each Other’s Flesh and Blood, 2023) with artist Will Sutton, musician Drew Walden, and designer Tori Vintzel. His most recent solo show, The End of All Things Will Not Be Not Bad, was held at the John C. Williams Gallery in Collegedale, Tennessee. He lives with his partner and two cats, Bertie and Chagall.
instragram @dylanthomasstudio notthedeadpoet@gmail.com
max winegardner
five — this project is funded through the wages of the participating artists, who work full time in the US labor market as well as on the intensive project here outlined. Limited hours outside of their wage labor, combined with wage’s division between the project’s needs as well as the artists’ sustenance and survival results in a reduction in the project’s pace of advancement. The participating artists accept this reality; they have complied a selection of works on paper to offer independent parties who wish to engage with the project’s success and progress.