emilee grummel

Photography

Emilee Grummel, Gramps, 2023, archival inkjet print, 18 x 24 inches

Artist statement

They say time heals all wounds, but in reality, time only Band-Aid's those wounds to make them more tolerable. Frank Richard Schadeck was the man who taught me how to go through life. From being my preschool teacher to teaching me how to defend and speak up for myself, he made me into the person I am today. He was not only my grandfather, but became my best friend, teacher, and mentor. Since his passing, change has become more prevalent and harder to accept. 

 

When my grandfather was living with us, he built a miniature train set in the basement. The miniature world he created contains idyllic scenes of the infrastructure of a small town. There are three working trains on tracks, farms, car dealerships, and all the quaint features of rural American life.  From the family of geese waddling beneath the elevated train track, to the young boy letting his dog out the back door, to the construction workers building a new single-family home, he created stories through these imaginary scenes. The basement trainset was a place for him to share joy with close friends and family, especially the grandchildren. These photographs in the series, Inevitable, present a childlike perspective on the village, inviting viewers to escape into the peaceful sanctuary of simpler times.  

Emilee Grummel, Walk in the Park, 2023, archival inkjet print, 18 x 24 inches

Emilee Grummel, Car Show, 2023, archival inkjet print, 18 x 24 inches

Emilee Grummel, Late Lunches, 2023, archival inkjet print, 18 x 24 inches

Emilee Grummel, Leaving the Station, 2023, archival inkjet print, 18 x 24 inches

artist bio

Emilee Grummel began her fine arts photography career at the University of Illinois at Chicago. There she refined her photographic techniques and explored human connection through portraiture. In 2020, Grummel transferred to Northern Illinois University where she began to explore concepts of time, change, and trauma through photographs of herself and her family. She uses light and long exposures to express these concepts. Grummel continues to explore photography in dark settings as she dives deeper into her past. 

Emilee has worked in a family portrait studio and had her images published in their yearly catalog. Her work has been shown in galleries such as the BFA Show at the Jack Olsen Gallery, Past & Pleasant at the Ellwood House Museum and Annette & Jerry Johns Gallery, and (un)process(ing) at Gallery 215 (4th Street). She participated in creating the World’s Largest Paper Snowflake for the Guinness World Records. 

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