“Any readers who like your poems, doubt their judgment.”
— Wendell Berry
It is such a privilege to be the featured visual artist at The Berry Center’s ARTS & LETTERS celebration this Saturday. My LITTER-ally KENTUCKY landscapes will be on display through year’s end at their Agrarian Culture Center in New Castle.
Please attend my gallery talk about the LITTER-ally KENTUCKY landscape exhibition at Art Center of the Bluegrass,
10/21, Tuesday evening, 6–7pm.
“Rooted in visual design and inspired by the avant-garde history of collage, LITTER-ALLY KENTUCKY is a compelling body of work that transforms discarded materials into powerful statements on beauty, environment, and belonging. Created entirely from recycled and found objects — including ruined book pages, used tea bags, and fragments of roadside litter — these intricate collage landscapes offer…” READ MORE:
“That seems to me the great American danger we’re all in, that we’ll bargain away the experience of being alive for the appearance of it.”
— Mike Nichols
From the time that I began to exhibit collage, people have responded positively to art made from stuff that would otherwise be recycled or thrown away. They like the idea that anything cast off can be repurposed and infused with new meaning and a measure of beauty. Collage is ideally suited to individual response and offers a universal experience. Nearly everyone can understand and relate to cutting and pasting paper.
On first impression, people often think my landscapes are conventional paintings — until they move closer. At the same intimate distance the works were created, viewers find only paper ingredients, fragments of printing, and layers of torn edges. It’s been rewarding for me to witness this sense of discovery, a reaction similar to what I’ve experienced by exploring the potential of paper. This living connection with others doesn’t happen with a digital exchange. It fires my enthusiasm for representational collage as an artistic concentration.
You are invited to visit Kleinhelter Gallery next month to view LITTER-ally KENTUCKY in New Albany, Indiana.
This collection of collage landscapes created en plein air makes its fourth appearance, and I’ll present my first multi-day workshop in June. Stop back here soon to learn more about these hands-on opportunities and to register for a spot. New Albany (just across the Ohio from Louisville) is a splendid destination. I hope you make plans to see these artworks in person!
A RIVER CONNECTION: Artists of Asheville opens at Kleinhelter today. The gallery in New Albany, Indiana presents a fundraiser for artists affected by flood damage from Hurricane Helene. 100% of sales will go to help them rebuild. Some of my collage landscapes from the autumn exhibition will continue to be displayed separately. If any of these find a buyer, I will contribute $100 each to the relief fund. The show lasts until February 22, 2025.
Please consider helping out.
