"As America enters the Twenty- first Century, our cultural banners and consumer lifestyles have extended to a far greater audience than ever before. I, as an artist, am particularly interested in our behavioral traits and the role which environment plays as a determinate. I juxtapose very stereotypical American characters as icons into foreign environments, or create an environment where these icons can interact with foreign characters or figures. At a more subtle level, I imbue the actions of children and adult characters with very different consequences. While on the surface, children may seem innocent in their foreign journeys, the weight of their cultural imperiative foreshadows the inevitable next step. Adulthood brings journeys in which the steps are destructive and deliberate. Pristine landscapes of mountains, trees, and rivers are forever altered and swept aside by the march of American progress. I want to challenge the viewer to look beyond the icons, the characters, and the settings; yet see the simplicity, both in the scene and the solution."
Mindy Kober
