Stories play a critical role in our experience and understanding of the world. We share stories about where we’ve been that help us understand the past, and we shape our futures by creating aspirational stories about who we hope to be. We use stories to connect us to communities of others, and we tell stories that differentiate us from others and define an individual identity. At times these stories are rooted in fact, sometimes they are complete fictions, but perhaps most often we find them to be a strange amalgam of the two. Our fictions are shaped by real experience, built upon the foundations of truth, and our revered histories remain incomplete and colored by the specific experience of the author. Despite these inherent difficulties, story remains our most potent tool for making sense of the world. Though varied in their materials, practices, and subjects; all of the artists here share an affinity for visual storytelling. Some offer visual parables that are rich in references and metaphors intended to motivate us to respond. Others tell deeply personal stories, mining their own experience for tales of struggle and success, violence and beauty. And still others challenge our tacit acceptance of cultural narratives by recontextualizing familiar stories and exposing our subconscious assumptions. Though each of these stories is deeply rooted in the personal experience of its author, it is likely that in these pages you will also find familiar echoes of your own story.
- Jeff Rau, 2014
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