Artist Statement:
The Farm Project is a selection of photographs depicting the life of New Brunswick’s everyday unsung heroes; these are the farmers of New Brunswick. They are fathers and sons, families and friends who work, not for themselves, but for their neighbours. Their work is not seasonal or recreational; they make an honest living and do not hesitate because it might be difficult. Many farmers native to this province run dairy farms, which means that their work never ceases. They rise with the sun, day after day. These men and women are a part of a long and rich history of New Brunswick’s culture. They press on, without recognition or reward, just as their fathers did before them.
Through this work, my goal is to open a window depicting a historically significant lifestyle to the general population, who has become unaware of the daily efforts and investment made by New Brunswick farmers. It is driven by honest storytelling and depicts a dying lifestyle. Growing up, I was surrounded by farm life, and have the experience of knowing neighbours who tenaciously pursue this profession.
The title and approach stem from the American Farm Security Administration Project during the Great Depression, of which arose some of the most influential documentary photographs and photographers to date. The images span different years, seasons, farms and farmers.
It is through the lens that their work is defined, but it is through the viewer that the stories are preserved.
Biography:
Karina Kierstead is an Atlantic Canadian documentary photographer. She focuses her art on honest storytelling; the lives people lead in places that can expand our own worldviews. Her aim is to stay true to the environments that she captures: unpolished and authentic. Karina operates with the belief that there is an infatuating beauty in our surroundings: in fields, among our coasts and within our neighbours; at times we need to see it with fresh eyes, or a lens, to appreciate its perseverance.
Karina gained formal training from the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design, where she graduated with a Diploma of Photography. She is currently studying at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, where she will graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in December 2014.