FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How did you get that name?
Shakespeare asked, “What’s in a name?” Nomen est omen, the Romans said. The name is destiny. Because it is unusual and people are naturally curious, I am often asked about my name. Typically, our name is given to us by others and defines us in relation to them. But sometimes we must choose our own name. Corn Wagon Thunder is a self-applied sobriquet. The name I chose for myself relates to my maternal grandmother – my first role model. Her name was Ona, and she was a gardener. My grandmother would get very excited when she heard the thunder rumbling across the sky and she would exclaim, much to my delight, “Wee Doggies! The corn wagon’s a coming to town!” In other words, the thunder signified the coming rain that would make her plants grow so she could feed her family. Taking this name seemed a fitting tribute to her and allowed me to self-define my relationship to those that raised me.
Why do you photograph yourself all the time?
I began working with photographic self-portraiture as a response to a period of transition in my life. It was a time when previously held beliefs were being upended and I was forced to redefine who I am and what constitutes a meaningful life. By turning the camera on myself as a method of examining my personal upheaval, and essentially my personal mythology, I found a way forward. Over time, I shifted from thinking in a strictly autobiographical manner to considering how people construct and transform meaning in relation to the world in which they exist. In the progression of my work, I examine the external influences that shape who I perceive and direct myself to be and how that self relates to other selves.
Sometimes, I go outside and take pictures. You can look at some of those here.
What artists do you admire?
I like to read in themes. For instance, one drowsy summer was spent reading Southern Gothic fiction: Flannery O’Connor’s Wise Blood, William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, Toni Morrison’s Beloved, Carson McCuller’s The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Dorothy Alilson’s Bastard Out of Carolina, etc.
I also read non-fiction books. Robert Macfarlane is a favorite. He writes beautifully about how humans interact with the world. Mary Rueful is the greatest essayist and poet. I love her book Madness, Rack, and Honey. Of course, in grad school, I read a lot of books on photography and contemporary art.