Appalachian Spring: Paintings By Ali Printz

“Appalachian Spring” seeks to give agency to the women of Appalachia, from New York to Georgia, and highlight the rich heritage that the region has contributed to American culture, as well as the stereotypes it has perpetuated. Despite its poverty, religious misconceptions, perceived political leanings and propensity to be taken advantage of for its natural resources, Appalachia is filled with a distinction and beauty that is often overlooked.

Ali Printz uses vintage photographs and sculptural fabric to reconstruct the lives of the forgotten women of Appalachia, while combining elements of contemporary issues facing the region that have been constants in her West Virginia upbringing. Miners, snake charmers, weavers, debutants, and shamans; all have a place for women as cornerstones in the whole of the culture. Through the traditions of folk art and craft combined with traditional portraiture and figuration, Printz hopes to reconstruct the importance of women’s roles as caretakers, heroines, and constants that permeates the culture and history of Appalachia.

Ali was born in Martinsburg, West Virginia and considers herself an Appalachian artist. She has lived and worked in Spain, Panama, and Washington, D.C, before moving to New York City for graduate school in 2010. She received her BFA in Painting and a BA in Art History from West Virginia University in 2009 and an MA in Contemporary Art from Sotheby’s Institute of Art in 2012. She is currently pursuing a cross disciplinary PhD in Modern and Contemporary Appalachian Art and Painting at the Tyler School of Art at Temple University.