Bethany Collins (b.1984) was born in Montgomery, AL and lives and works in Chicago, IL. Collins is a multidisciplinary artist whose conceptual practice examines the relationship between race and language. Centering language—its biases, contradictions, and ability to simultaneously forge connections and foster violence—her works illuminate America’s past and offer insight into the development of racial and national identities. Drawing on a wide variety of documents, ranging from nineteenth-century musical scores to US Department of Justice reports, she erases, obscures, excerpts, and rewrites portions of text to bring to the fore issues revolving around race, power, and histories of violence.
Featured Artworks
The Aeneid: 2017 / 2022 (2022)
Ink on handmade paper, 44 x 30 inches each
Dixie's Land (1859-2001) (2020)
Graphite and charocal powder on paper, 14 x 26 inches each
The Odyssey: 2000 / 2017 (2018)
Graphite and toner on Somerset paper in two parts, 44 x 30 inches each
Where the lash is made red in the blood of the slave (The Chase) (2021)
Charcoal and acrylic on panel, 48 x 72 x 2 inches
The Star Spangled Banner: A Hymnal (2020)
Artist book with 100 laser cut leaves, 9 x 6 x 1 inches
Old Ship I-XII (2023)
Cast paper and confederate granite, dimensions variable