Welcome to Abandonment Issues, an exhibition by Paige Burger.
Thank you for taking the time to join us for the opening exhibition, if you have interest in a particular piece please see Paige or her Dealer, Abraham Raum for prices and accompanying information.
 
A few special thanks to give out:
 
Carrie Patterson, owner of Yellow Door Art Studios, lover of Art Education and all around Paige Ambassador - Thank you for the opportunities that you have offered me along with all the wisdom you share.
 
Adrienne, I’m so glad to have you as a studio companion. You are a Rockstar: artist, mom, campaigner, wife, sister, friend and in every role you play. I have learned a lot from you and always enjoy your input.


Uncle Brandon, I couldn’t do this without your endless availability.
 
To my Mom, thank you for always being there when I need you. You are the most fun to work with and you are, by far, the hardest worker I know.
 
Todd - Thank you for the technical advice, supplies and drop-in conversations.
 
Abraham – You’ve been an overwhelming joy in my life over the past six months. You’ve exhibited true engagement with your newfound artistic passions and it inspires me everyday. Thank you for staying up through late nights, offering insightful conversation and for putting this exhibit together with me.
 
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Artist Statement
April 1, 2016
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My friends have often been the source of my photographic endeavors; over the past year most
of them have moved away from St. Mary’s County.  Our relationships with each other are directly related to the landscapes in which
we inhabit; St. Mary’s gave us an opportunity to develop beautiful and strong friendships.  Since they have been gone,
I’ve felt the landscape change dramatically. I am taking different roads, I spend time in different bars, I have to actively
seek out activities amongst my peers. These differences have created awareness that wasn’t there before, both literally and figuratively.  As the friends moved, I made new ones and as I drive different roads I notice new things. This exhibition is
about one of those finds, while simultaneously working through finding myself without my old community here.
The photographs document an abandoned trailer off of Route 4, many of you pass it everyday. I wanted to explore
this space and find out what was inside. I met the space like a new friend, cautious but eager and interested in its structure,
history and ambiance. I took the time to get to know it, for weeks I stayed outside, only peeking in through windows or holes.
As I came to know the exterior, I ventured inside.  The composition of leftovers had me hooked.
For the sculptural component of my work, I wanted to use materials based upon the things I saw in the trailer. I began to
work with found wood, mostly from pallets or barn wood scraps.  I think about these sculptures as paintings inspired
by the framework and findings of the trailer. But the sculptures themselves represent the conceptual framework of the trailer
and its abandonment issues.  I hope that these sculptures embody the ideas of reformation,
investigation and acceptance of the present, of what is.