Heartland — Leigh Blanchard

In Heartland, Blanchard explores family history and creative inheritance, crafting delicate yet bold photographs deeply inspired by her grandmother, Jean Schneider Johnson. Utilizing a digital scanner, camera, and computer, her process is highly improvisational. She cuts, scans, manipulates, and collages images of her grandmother’s original artworks. The resulting abstract compositions challenge the boundaries of traditional photography, inviting viewers to reimagine the medium through the artist’s perspective.

This multigenerational project includes a shared emotional sensitivity, reflecting how artistic leanings and creative passion can trail through a family line. By pulling from Johnson's archive, Blanchard builds a visual family tree that bridges their separate practices. "Just as children take certain traits from their parents, I’ve taken elements of my grandmother’s work and made it my own," she notes, turning their individual practices into a living, artistic conversation.