Camryn Gulledge is an MFA candidate at Missouri State University, having earned her BFA from Arkansas Tech University. Growing up in the Deep South of Arkansas, Camryn developed a strong connection to nature and a sense of being “other” as a neurodivergent queer woman. Her practice explores themes of place, ecology, conservation, and collection, often rooted in field research. She is deeply influenced by Herpetology -the study of reptiles and amphibians- often focusing on critters seen as gross or unwanted, like invertebrates, fish, and snakes. During her excursions to lakes, creeks, and vernal pools, she collects discarded items left behind by humans, bringing them back to her studio where they are transformed into precious specimens. Through her work, she considers the ambient desolation of human impact on nature, the pervasive isolation of capitalist America, and her role within the environments she inhabits.