The Locker Room is pleased to announce “Midamerican Fever Dream,” a solo exhibition of photography by Summer Wagner running October 15th - November 3rd. This body of work explores the psychological landscape of America’s rust belt, where the reality of post-industrial decline meets the ethereal, shifting world of the subconscious. Through dreamlike color-grading and long exposure techniques, Wagner depicts Midwestern characters in their everyday lives, their fever dreams, and the liminal spaces between, illustrating the surreal dissonance between fantasy and harsh reality. Herself a rust-belt native, the artist journeys into the emotional undercurrents of those living in the remains of decimated industrial cities in order to depict the waking dream, or nightmare, of American contemporary life.

The collection of one-of-one works featured in “Midamerican Fever Dream” will exist in two forms: half as physical prints and half as NFTs, emphasizing the artist’s vision of the digital world as an extension of the collective dreamspace.

The opening of the show will be on the evening of October 15th and the show will run until November 3rd at the Locker Room Gallery, 373 South 1st St, Brooklyn, NY 11211.

ARTIST STATEMENT
“As an artist, I give meaning to matter, sure, but let’s acknowledge that matter already holds inherent meaning in our lives. Our landscapes, streets, offices and homes shape who we are and influence how we experience life and one another. From these surroundings, clichés emerge and weave themselves into the archetypal language of our culture.

Like the characters in my work, the environment has its own agency—it shapes us, much like a parent shapes a child. If we acknowledge that there is a child within each of us, constantly in dialogue with the world around us, we can begin to understand the collective pain we carry, and how these wounds might be addressed together. Everything, even our dreams, exists within the context of this world—a world that we invite in with our first breath.”

ABOUT SUMMER WAGNER
Summer Wagner is a LA-based photographer from the Rust Belt region of the Midwest, whose ethereal, narrative-driven work explores desire, spirituality and trauma in a post-industrial world. After earning her BFA in film production from Biola University, Wagner turned to photography of her home region during the pandemic, quickly gaining widespread attention for her haunting images which has been bolstered by her use of blockchain technology. She has since built a growing digital audience of over 100,000 followers. Wagner’s NFTs and prints have been auctioned at Christie’s New York, featured in Harper’s Bazaar, Aesthetica Magazine, and Setanta Books, and shown in exhibitions worldwide, including: Art Basel, Miami (2024, 2023, 2022); The Hill, LA (2024); NFT NYC (2024, 2023, 2022); Paris Photo, France (2023); NFT Lisbon (2023); NFT Paris (2023); Arab Bank, Switzerland (2023).

ABOUT THE LOCKER ROOM
The Locker Room is a femme-owned creative house that comprises an art collective, a gallery, and recording studio based in Brooklyn, New York, with a medium-fluid approach that incorporates visual art, music, performance, fashion, film, products and pranks. TimeOut Magazine named them Best Gallery in New York City for 2021.

Opening: Reception will be held on Tuesday, October 15th, 7-10pm. 

Location: 373 South 1st St, Brooklyn NY 11211 (Entrance on Borinquen Pl.)

PRESS CONTACTS

Samara Bliss
Founder of the Locker Room
info@thelockerroomnyc.com

Summer Wagner
Artist
summergwagner@gmail.com