Tuesday, October 11, 2011

In A Little Red Barn On A Farm Down In Indiana

This is my latest mixed media collage.  I'm moving back into my home studio due to some major unhappiness with the way the management (or should I say, mis-management) of the artist organization I'm involved with. That's all I'll say about it right now.  For me, the making of art is important.  This quasi political brew ha ha is just a bump in the road.  Since the physical/emotional disruption, I've been unable to make art in my downtown studio.  Thus, I've been making collage work at home, like crazy.  I guess I should thank those who have had 'control' over my (and other artists) destiny these past months.  The anger I feel has pushed me onward and upward.  In other words,  thanks, now get out of my way.
This piece is based loosely on my memories of growing up in Northern Indiana.  There was (or maybe still is?) a major AM radio station, WOWO that had huge wattage.  It was an important source of information regarding pork bellies and such.  They had a program that started with a song;  "In a little red barn, on a farm, down in Indiana..."
And so, maybe that is the name of this piece, or maybe it's just "Down On The Farm".  I used a lot of vintage 1940's magazine images, plus some contemporary Oprah mag pages.  It's interesting, at 1st Thursday the other night, a friend looked at it and said, "Oh look, there's the Mother and Father...and their, uh"  I'm pretty sure it's more like 'High Drama On the Farm"...Honestly, I'm not really sure what any of this means.  My collage work is much more in the surreal vein, and more just what feels right together.  So, what it means is more up to the viewer.  I had no deep intentions, really.  I just like putting pieces on a board.
If you are interested, this piece is framed and available.  Let me know and we'll talk $$ and logistics of getting it to you.
Meanwhile, I continue to make scratchboard pieces, and teach and demonstrate the process of making art with scratchboards. I'm a happy girl from up there in farmland, living down here in southland.  And oh yeah,  have a great day out there!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Best wishes to you, Linda! It was nice to meet you recently, and I really enjoyed your art class along with Jamie. We had fun!

dudleyspinner said...

I remember the 50 thousand watt WOWO with Jay Gould in the mornings. Brings back memories of oatmeal for breakfast and waiting for the bus by the frosty window. Visiting Ft. Wayne this week. The leaves should be spectacular. Glad you are putting the drama behind you.