As Found
Gary Hansen
Liz Hansen

Artists’ Statement:   Found objects, which have been neglected, abused, repurposed, or abandoned, tell stories. Their condition and location tell stories of changing tastes and of the people who owned, used, or left them in the situations where we found them. The objects depicted in this show were found close to home as well as during our travels, which often include visits to antique, vintage, and thrift stores. As photographers, our work captures these objects “as found” without manipulation. The images we selected for this exhibit depict themes of abandonment, neglect, repurposing, and commentary as well as artifacts from material and popular culture. Some images are displayed in “as found” frames, which may enhance their stories. 

About the Artists:  
Gary Hansen - After a lifetime interest in photography, I began pursuing my own work more seriously in 2015 after retiring from the University of Kentucky and a career in sociology. As a sociologist with a camera, I consider myself a photo-sociologist who uses photography to document the unique settings in which we live, interact, and collectively create meaning. As such, my images, even when people are absent, reflect human experiences within  both social and natural environments. 

During a 2019 visit to my hometown of Stuttgart, Arkansas, I was struck by the neglect and abandonment of previously thriving sections of the community. I realized that documenting the state of its buildings and other objects as I found them could tell, at least partially, the story of the economic challenges, population decline, and social changes it has experienced. Finding and photographing similar settings in other communities is a continuing focus of my work. 

Liz Hansen - My photography is journalistic. My images tell stories by depicting people, places, objects, and events as I encounter them. Although photography was part of my journalism education, during my career as a newspaper reporter, freelance writer, and journalism professor, my photos usually complemented my writing and rarely stood alone. After retiring from Eastern Kentucky University in 2014, I became a writing coach for the photojournalism section of Western Kentucky University’s annual Mountain Workshops. Working alongside the photography coaches, I help participants write stories to complement their images, which has renewed my interest in creating my own stand-alone images.

In 2019 I encountered a room-sized, locked, wire and wooden cage filled with discarded, damaged mannequins—men, women and children—in an antique mall in Midland, Texas. Those mannequins, as well as dolls who were once loved but have been neglected, abused, repurposed, or abandoned, piqued my interest. Since then, I’ve photographed mannequins, dolls, and other objects in antique, vintage, and thrift stores both to tell their stories and to offer hints about the people who placed them as I found them. The meaning of my images and the stories they tell are up to the viewer to discern.    

Gary and Liz reside in Lexington and display work as Two Profs Photography. Images are available in various sizes either framed or unframed.  You can contact them at:   [email protected].