In Heartland, Blanchard challenges the nature of photography by creatively capturing and manipulating images printed with pigment ink on fine art paper. Examining the theme of family and creativity, Blanchard's delicate, yet bold photographs are directly and indirectly inspired by her grandmother’s artwork.
Blanchard uses mechanistic tools, such as a camera and computer, to create her intimate yet subtle relationship with the viewer. She always begins with an emotional and visual source — in this collection, works by her grandmother, Jean Schneider Johnson, inspire her pieces. Blanchard's process is improvisational: cutting, scanning, digitally manipulating and collaging her source materials until an aesthetic balance is reached. At first glance, the images could be abstract expressionist paintings. There is a duality to the images — they do not look like traditional photographs, but at the same time, the viewer is asked to reimagine what photography can be.
There is an emotional sensitivity across Blanchard’s and Johnson’s work that evokes their family relationship. Blanchard has appropriated, consciously and unconsciously, from her grandmother’s work with a gentle touch that can be felt when seeing their work together.
“Celebrating creative expression, I am fascinated by the passion to create and how it runs in families. Just as children take certain traits from their parents, I’ve taken elements of my grandmother’s work and made it my own. This process has made me reflect on how traits — visual and conceptual — are passed down genetically. This is my opportunity for a multigenerational series. It is a family tree of artwork.”
