Jon Solinger: “Working Land: New Rural Photographs”

Arts | June 15th, 2016

On Tuesday the 21st, the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County (HCSCC) will be hosting a panel discussion and book signing at the Hjemkomst Museum, complete with refreshments. Photographer Jon Solinger will sign and sell copies of his book, “Working Land: New Rural Photographs,” a visual chronicle of the evolution of rural life in Otter Tail County, Minn.

On his website, Solinger describes “Working Land” as having both a documentary component and an artistic vision. In addition to second- and third-generation farmers, rural Minnesota is seeing an influx of new farmers discovering the land’s potential, as well as descendants reclaiming family farms and exploring new uses for them.

According to his artist’s statement, the project “is about people’s attachment to a place through their work; how human labor transforms a particular piece of land, and in turn, the land shapes the life of the worker.” He goes on to describe his personal connection to the land, which began with his ancestors immigrating to the States and making a living from agriculture.

The collection includes photos of corn fields, farmhouses, tool sheds, tractors, livestock, and the farmers themselves; some of whom posed for the photos and others who were photographed candidly while tilling their soil, harvesting crops, or feeding the cows.

Solinger’s work has been displayed in galleries and museums all throughout North Dakota and Minnesota, including the North Dakota Art Museum in Grand Forks. Back in 2000, the Museum commissioned him to photograph shelterbelt trees and shrubs in the Red River Valley’s agricultural fields for a touring exhibition. Those photos are now part of their permanent collection.

Last summer, his photos were displayed as part of HCSCC’s History + Art series, a project made possible by a grant from The Arts Partnership. This series employs local artists to explore Cass and Clay County’s rural culture and heritage.

The HCSCC’s Executive Director Maureen Kelly Jonason has said, “We are very excited to welcome Jon back to HCS… We’re grateful that Jon’s book, with its beautiful photographs and insightful writings, captures a time, place and lifestyle for future generations.”

Other participants in the panel discussion will be curator and writer Tania Blanich, who worked with Solinger on this project; NDSU history professor and department head John K. Cox; and MSUM English professor Kate Meiners.

IF YOU GO

Jon Solinger: book signing and panel discussion

Tuesday, June 21, 6pm

Admission to the panel and book signing will be $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and college students, and $8 for children over five. Younger children and HCSCC members get in free.

For more information, contact Jonason at 218-299-5511.

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