Biography
Jennifer Knowles-McQuistion is a photographer and book artist living and working in Middle Tennessee. She is a member of the American Craft Council, the College Book Arts Association, the Tennessee Book Arts Guild, the Tennessee Association of Craft Artists, the Society for Photographic Education, and the Artist Book Collective. She was the first ever recipient of the Samuel Watkins Award for Excellence in 2008/09, graduating as the valedictorian of Watkins College of Art, Design & Film and the most recent recipient of the Tennessee Arts Commission and Tennessee Association of Craft Artists Master Artist and Apprentice Grant for 2012. She runs Brown Dog Bindery, a small book bindery in Smyrna, TN and also teaches Photography and Book Arts at colleges and universities, as well as lead workshops and guest lectures throughout the South Eastern United States. Her work is exhibited and collected internationally.
Artist Statement
I grew up in a family of storytellers. Listening to stories, reading stories, telling stories are all a large part of my heritage. I also have an intensely introspective nature and that has led me to develop a deep interest in psychology, personal mythology, and family folklore. Through the examination of these stories I explore the depths of generational learned behaviors, collective memory and the psychological influence of family history. My current work involves prescribed feminine behaviors, specifically feminine work/tasks and the transference/imposition of power as it relates to the body.
