William Christenberry

"I think that oftentimes art can make an outsider look back on something he has never been part of, and make him feel like he has always been part of it."

"My work is a totality of things, how drawing, painting, photography, sculpture - all of these things - come together in an attempt to make a statement about my life and where I'm from, what I care about."

I recently picked up the book Working From Memory in which Christenberry tells stories about his work in bursts about specific pieces. I have been in admiration of Christenberry's work for some time, but I have never really read many of his words. After reading this book, I am reassured and inspired to continue on the path I have been trodding. In fact, where once I thought I might put it away for a while, I feel that it is prudent to continue working on photographs of my home region in Tennessee. There'e something more I need to do there.