Allison Shepler

A group of polygamist women as separatist lesbians explore the mystical space between land, loving, and line dancing. A part of Ellsworth's ongoing efforts of putting the queer in pioneer, Ellsworth looks to her own Mormon cultural history and upbringing in Utah to investigate the underpinnings of Utopian ideals and religion by re-imagining a community of women creating their own grid and having their own visionary and revelatory powers outside a patriarchal construct. She draws parallels between the communities established by her ancestors and contemporary discourse around queer relationships and family. Through her re-appropriation of images of women in pastel prairie dresses, Ellsworth explores intimacy, resilience, and new possibilities for defining, building, and sustaining community.