About
Bethany Habegger completed their BFA in painting at Indiana University Bloomington in 2021. They were born in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1999 to a family of artists. Raised by two painters, Bethany has been creating work from a very young age.
You can see more of their work on Instagram: @bethanyhabegger
They also have work for sale on Etsy: BethanyHabeggerArt
Statement
Ruin and decay are not finite endings, but transitional elements of an ongoing process. In my work, I focus on contrasts, creation, and ruin. I employ multiple painting languages within each piece. Thick, intentional texture, rendered fabrics, loose lines, and bold graphics all combine to describe dilapidated spaces. Each painting language is assigned to specific elements of the imagery within these environments and helps to create my own visual vocabulary. I’m interested in post-industrial ruins and the impact of societal collapse on our homes and common spaces. The cycles of birth and ruin have been consistent throughout all civilizations, but their rate of decay has accelerated. Localities die out in a matter of months or years once companies close their factories. Houses are left by struggling families with many possessions abandoned in the chaos. These places are warning signals for societal decline.
By painting and documenting these spaces, I am acknowledging the persevering imagery of our culture and the lost elements of our country's past. We all have a nostalgia for the past, even if we were not alive during our time period of interest. These paintings are a nod to nostalgic tendencies, but are rooted in the present state of things. They ground our fantasies of the past by showing wear and aging, allowing the viewer to see the past without rose-tinted glasses. By displaying imperfect objects, it allows us the space to reflect on our historic faults and how these perpetuate in the present.