Heidi Pitre

Lives and works in Kansas City, MO, USA

Artist statement

Southern Peculiar The South. It’s just not like anywhere else. It’s not even like itself. The heat is glorious, but overbearing. The food is delicious and deadly. Its people can be painfully lovely, or they can be painfully vicious. If you know the South well, you love it and you hate it, but you can’t shake it. You can leave it, but it doesn’t leave you. It’s a way of life, and an odd way of living. Some might even say a peculiar way of living. Our witchcraft starts with a pleasant accent and a seersucker suit, like milk and sugar. We find pleasure in simple things, like rocking on the porch with a glass of sweet tea. Or a martini. Call it lazy if you like, but we know we are a complex people. We can be simultaneously hurtful towards and protective of each other. Yet, we are famously known for the sacred place we hold for grace and beauty, and our relentless commitment to manners. You may be well-liked at church, but the talk behind your back will be ruthless if you wear white shoes after Labor Day. We may stab you in the heart, but at least we are clever and polite about it. We aren’t animals, after all. The duality of the South can be hard to make peace with. Tradition is our way of life, so we place importance on rituals long after we have forgotten what they stand for. When our dearest traditions are being threatened, we may be unapologetic about how disastrous we’ve become, using the worst of excuses for bad behavior. To the rest of the world the South may make no...

Artwork