Dustin Young was raised in Dumont, MN. He studied Drawing and Painting at Minnesota State University Moorhead, Boston’s School of the Museum of Fine Arts and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has received numerous awards and accolades including the prestigious two-year artist residency at RedLine Contemporary Art in Denver, CO. Dustin and his family reside in western North Dakota where he continues his art practice. He says, “Memory influences everything in our lives. Massive amounts of information are stored from each experience and that data influences future thoughts and decisions. Included are the collective memories of daily headlines and images from pop-culture. Contemporary society is constantly inundated with emotionally charged imagery that aims to shock viewers by appealing to their sensibilities. By reworking the images to avoid shock and specificity, my artwork turns these depictions into mnemonic symbols that stir the mind with associations. The subject matter fluctuates from piece to piece, flowing between moments of clarity and confusion by employing a combination of abstracted and figurative drawings. Each drawing reflects the influence of shared memories of Americana that help define an American experience through personal history. Combining imagery collected from the Internet, pop-culture, and personal experiences develop an enigmatic narrative that allows the viewer to interpret the work through their own memories.”