Sally pettibon: personal geography

October 19 – december 11, 2020

richard and barbara basch gallery

Personal Geography represents the connection between the artist and her hometown of Cheer, Iowa. The project explores the impermanence of history and memory and the permanence of place through the combination of family photographs taken by the artist since the 1970’s.

“Although I lived there for only 5 years, it has a hold on me that’s difficult to explain. Perhaps it is my inherent need to belong somewhere, perhaps it’s the memories of my family who are no longer alive, perhaps it’s the place itself with its rolling hills, verdant cornfields and its own distinct kind of light. More than likely, it’s my memories of a place where both my father and I were born, where my Grandparents and Great Grandparents lived nearby. The map of my life extends quite far, I lived in four different states by the time I was 16. But it’s this tiny forgotten town that has a hold on me both temporal and spiritual that I don’t yet fully understand.”

- Sally Pettibon