DAUNTING COURAGE
with Snacks on the River!
The Missouri River sometimes gets a bad reputation. It is dangerous and polluted. There are barges and snags and flying carp. It is full of unknowns and very few people. It is also full of wonder, beauty, and plenty of history. It is full of potential for adventure.
I once dreamt of floating a small cardboard replica of Lewis and Clark's keelboat down this river. This dream has led to a cardboard boat, a series of videos and paintings, multiple float trips, and the (attempted) fulfillment of this dream. Daunting Courage remains an ongoing investigation of this important and beautiful river.
Videos
Artist Statement: Snacks on the River
For one week in August 2016, I floated the Missouri between Nebraska City and Kansas City in search of inspiration, meaning, and adventure. Like artist-explorers from the past, I recorded this experience and landscape along the way, with the intention of rediscovering this often overlooked stretch of river and bringing awareness to its important place in our region and history. Snacks on the River is a series of works on paper that grew out of this experience. While serving as a record of the journey, they exemplify my own struggle between the comfortable consumption of entertainment and a longing for actual experience and meaning. Snacks on the River reflects both.
Photos
