By Kelsey Heiss
For the month of August, Mahosky has been staying in the Klingel House, a log cabin built in the 1820s located amidst the battlefield at Gettysburg. He worked partially “in plain air” and from inside the house.
Over the month, he has produced six charcoal drawings of the landscape, all approximately 4-by-4 feet. The park has asked Mahosky to donate one of the pieces to their collection.
It is important to recognize that Mahosky’s drawings are not meant to represent Gettysburg as a glorified battlefield, but rather, a piece of land that marks an important place in our history, according to him.
“I’m not romanticizing war in these drawings, or glorifying scenes of battle. My drawings speak to recognize the interpretation of history on this land, and how it has sanctified what happened here,” said Mahosky.
He plans to talk to his students about “what they can expect to get done and what they can expect to have happen to them at residencies.” The most important point, he said, is that “you have to prioritize; the most difficult thing is just getting the time together to do it. I had to work twice as hard in June and July to get this month off, but this was such a great opportunity that I just couldn’t pass up.”