Biography
Bethany Riley is a Studio Artist based in Pennsylvania. She obtained her BFA at Kutztown University and her MFA from Tyler School of Art. Being raised in a religious and military community has shaped major themes in her artwork. Her photographic, time-based, and sculptural work has been featured in numerous juried exhibitions nationally. She is currently obtaining her MFA in photography at the Tyler School of Art.
Artist Statement
I am a lens-based artist located in Philadelphia whose work predominantly lies in photographic and sculptural mediums. While I utilize both digital and analog methods of image making, I specialize in darkroom based alternative photo processes. After receiving my BFA from Kutztown University, I began my MFA candidacy at the Tyler School of Art in 2021, during which time I continued to work in 19th century photo processes, imagining them as sculptural installations. The conversations brought forth in my work are heavily informed by my background as a child of both a devout Anglican Catholic and military family, who has led a transitory lifestyle. My work examines and grieves the idea of home through the lens of memory, archives, national identity, and land devastation.