Penny Hasenkamp
Artist Statement
It seems like I have always had a camera in my hand - my Mom and Dad's old Polaroid; high school yearbook photos; the college newspaper; then as staff writer and editor of a real newspaper; and Internet publications.
In my personal life I have sought to capture all the moments of my childhood; that of my children's, and now, my grandchildren's.
Growing up in Kansas I find myself drawn to its history and its past...which I reflect most in my photos. Old abandoned houses - once homes filled with love and laughter - begging to be remembered; an old clapboard house that makes you wonder who lived there and what struggles and tragedies took place. Old barns, chicken houses, and other animal shelters that have withstood abandonment, disrepair and time itself. Or maybe it’s an old iron suspension bridge still boasting a wooden deck that calls to me, or the 1800's cemetery the dirt road and bridge eventually lead me to.
The Kansas landscape in itself holds more color and beauty than most give it credit- rolling hills, the Flint Hills that resemble little mountains, pastures and sky that go on forever. Lakes, streams, and ponds all tie in to complete the picture!
We come across an old tree with its branches twisted and broken and some see a tree that needs to be removed. I see a majestic sentinel that has withstood Kansas' blizzards and tornadoes alike to give shelter to a rabbit, coyote or cow.
I may not always be able to tell you the technical setting of a certain photograph but capturing Kansas, its heritage and my own, is my main goal.
Artist Statement
It seems like I have always had a camera in my hand - my Mom and Dad's old Polaroid; high school yearbook photos; the college newspaper; then as staff writer and editor of a real newspaper; and Internet publications.
In my personal life I have sought to capture all the moments of my childhood; that of my children's, and now, my grandchildren's.
Growing up in Kansas I find myself drawn to its history and its past...which I reflect most in my photos. Old abandoned houses - once homes filled with love and laughter - begging to be remembered; an old clapboard house that makes you wonder who lived there and what struggles and tragedies took place. Old barns, chicken houses, and other animal shelters that have withstood abandonment, disrepair and time itself. Or maybe it’s an old iron suspension bridge still boasting a wooden deck that calls to me, or the 1800's cemetery the dirt road and bridge eventually lead me to.
The Kansas landscape in itself holds more color and beauty than most give it credit- rolling hills, the Flint Hills that resemble little mountains, pastures and sky that go on forever. Lakes, streams, and ponds all tie in to complete the picture!
We come across an old tree with its branches twisted and broken and some see a tree that needs to be removed. I see a majestic sentinel that has withstood Kansas' blizzards and tornadoes alike to give shelter to a rabbit, coyote or cow.
I may not always be able to tell you the technical setting of a certain photograph but capturing Kansas, its heritage and my own, is my main goal.
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