Effingham - 6 Restaurants
August 2020
Daniel Stumeier cross stitches his hometown fast food restaurants
Press Release:
These are inspired by billboards advertising my hometown. I found these billboards straightforward and humorous in their banality; they simply read, “Effingham, 17 Hotels, 65 Restaurants” without additional imagery. The starkness of the billboards’ design speaks volumes to the location and the businesses they advertise. The majority of these restaurants are fast food chains that are staples of the American landscape. My embroideries are based on photographs of restaurants I have taken in my hometown. These pieces are a way for me to meditate upon and think critically of a place that has become uncanny. I feel comfortable in this location’s familiarity, but more poignantly I feel a strong sense of detachment the more distance I get from it. Taking these photos—being out in public, encountering and observing people—and then recreating them through a methodical craft helps me continue to form opinions of a community I am mistrustful of in light of our current political climate where racism, xenophobia, bigotry, and ignorance in general have become increasingly normalized and a part of daily life.
Artist Bio, Daniel Stumeier
Daniel Stumeier is a St. Louis-based artist and educator. His artwork has been exhibited at the Schmidt Art Center, Monaco, Reese Gallery, Granite City Art and Design District, and fort gondo compound for the arts. Stumeier holds a B.F.A. from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and an M.F.A. from the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Art at Washington University.
Artwork Information
KFC (Effingham Il), 2020, Embroidery, 4.5 x 6 in
Long John Silver's (Effingham Il), 2020, Embroidery, 4.5 x 6 in
McDonald's (Effingham Il), 2019, Embroidery, 4.5 x 6 in
Chili's (Effingham Il), 2019, Embroidery, 4.5 x 6 in
Taco Bell(Effingham Il), 2019, Embroidery, 4.5 x 6 in
Subway at Walmart (Effingham Il), 2019, Embroidery, 4.5 x 6 in