ARTIST STATEMENT

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At different times M. Tyler Frasier, Jonathan Prichard, and Todd Stewart earned fine arts degrees from Winthrop University and later became exhibits preparators at the Museum of York County. This education and professional experience influenced the personal artistic practice of each individual. The pieces in this exhibition come from a shared inspiration and sustained curiosity of what happens when the conceptual, practical, and aesthetic conventions of these two revered Rock Hill institutions overlap.

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The artists utilized a wide breadth of processes and materials to explore the subject matter of natural history specimens and anthropological artifacts. While at times referencing the conventional scientific approach, the experimentation, imagination, and humor valued in contemporary fine arts took priority.  

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Additional research came from solitary evening walks in outdoor spaces for observation and contemplation of seemingly infinite variation of color, form, and texture. Objects such as sticks and bones were collected from these walks and integrated into the fabricated forms.   The earth, sky, plants, and animals provided their own particular context for personal growth, change, and the passing of time. These respected places of wildness imprinted into memory and became symbols to employ within these artworks.