Presentation
American Division: Civil War Legacies on the
Mason-Dixon Line
On the cusp of the Mason-Dixon Line, hidden in the shadows of rolling hills and faded monuments, there exists a storied history of deep-seated conflict that dates back over 150 years. At the outset of the American Civil War, Southern Indiana and Northern Kentucky were a hotbed for political violence, largely stemming from the looming presence of Confederate sympathizers, or 'copperheads' as they were colloquially known. Today, this division is still prominent in many ways. Although this region is no longer divided by Yankee Blue and Rebel Gray, the contemporary political divide of red and blue is ever present. In this project, I explore this sense of division through the lens of Civil War reenacting, showing Civil War reenactors, descendants, and historians as a group of Americans directly involved in this shared history, while simultaneously investigating the ways in which individuals ideologies diverge and connect with our present world.
Jesse Kogge
Jesse Kogge is an artist and designer based in Bloomington, IN. He is a 3rd-year student at Indiana University Bloomington, pursuing degrees in both photography and industrial design. Born and raised in rural Indiana, Jesse creates work based on the stories that surrounded his upbringing. History is a strong theme in Jesse’s work, most notably in his current project, American Division, which examines political division and future potentials for violence through the lens of Civil War reenacting. As someone who once reenacted himself, Jesse leverages his unique perspective on the hobby to bring forth commentary on our country’s historical legacies of division.
Gallery
