Thomas Hellstrom

Lives and works in Chicago, IL, USA

Artist statement

'Sanctuary / Purgatory' 2021-2024 Responding to three years of pandemic uncertainty, ‘Sanctuary / Purgatory’ arose from the simple demand: stay away from people. Retreating to state parks and nature preserves to photograph I began contemplating human interaction with the natural world, its consequences and power manifest by the pandemic, and ultimately that world itself without human intervention. 'Sanctuary’ originates from an unexpected visit to the Bay Beach Nature Center in Green Bay, WI where injured raptors, unable to return to the wild, live out their lives in human designed enclosures. ‘Purgatory’ responds to the compounded global crises of the past three years, the collective inability to move on, and a turn to the natural world to observe another scale of time. Artist Statement: After 20 years living and working in NYC’s Chelsea gallery district, I relocated to my hometown of Milwaukee to care for my parents. The move transformed my work. Traveling between Milwaukee and Chicago I began to produce research-driven projects telling the stories of local histories and the regional landscape. From my research I produce immersive photo installations that activate their architectural settings and invite the audience to participate, creating agency with the viewer. Lake Michigan defines the region geographically and emotionally. Among the largest bodies of freshwater in the world, Lake Michigan is a constant companion and a living entity that sustains us. In 2013 I began...

Artwork