Projects > Curatorial Work III

Kistler writes, “As the daughter of a Master Gunnery Sergeant of the Marine Corps and the sister of a Tech Sergeant in the Air force, I draw from the overlapping spheres of childhood, the military, and home. I create work that explores contrasts between society’s construction of the soldier’s identity and the intimacy of the relationship between the soldier and family. Illuminated by the backlight of my experience, I make sculptures that draw upon archetypes of home and childhood and delve into the phenomena of collective identity and the fluidity of the self. Utilizing nostalgic references to childhood and memory, I make pieces that act as monuments to an individual’s experience which highlight the importance of viewing these often controversial topics in a more nuanced and humanizing light. Through my work I speak to the fluid and dynamic way our experiences create our identities.”