Juried exhibition, the Society of Layerists in Multi Media
July 22 – August 3, 2014
Hays Art Center, Hays, Kansas
Dorothy is Still Waiting, Collage with papers, pen, and acrylic paint on paper (2014) 18” x10”
Dorothy is Still Waiting,
ARTIST STATEMENT: I’m a collage artist and a layerist who loves to work with paper, paint and drawing to create mixed media art. My primary studio practice is geometric abstraction.
It was fun to create figure collages for the exhibition “There’s No Place Like Home.” I connected the little girl from the classic movie the Wizard of Oz (celebrating a 75th anniversary this year) to contemporary cut and pasted collage. This collage is constructed with fashion magazine images and juxtaposed papers to create a narrative with a twist. It’s mixed media in mixed metaphor.
“Dorothy is Still Waiting” and “Multiples” shows Dorothy with red shoes – red shoes were required – but this Dorothy Gale is made with magazine images. I found tall, edgy models in W and Vogue. I shortened their legs, rotated their hips, and altered poses. I juxtaposed mouths over mouths and eyes over eyes and changed their expression. Each collage comes with a story and where they are and why they are upset.
“Dorothy is Still Waiting” is an ironic spoof on Dorothy Gale. She’s wearing red shoes (painted with acrylic Pyrole Red), but she’s not a little girl. She’s grown up, impatient and frustrated and I think her mouth shows it. She missed her air balloon ride. She’s got attitude. The Wizard (the fraud) left her behind. Notice there’s an air balloon show behind her – all those balloons – and not one will come back to get Dorothy and bring her back to Kansas. Moreover – we’re not in Kansas anymore. This is 2014. Notice the red shoes are high fashion – right out of the summer 2014 issue of W magazine.
Multiplied, Collage with papers and acrylic paint (2014) 23”x14”
“Multiples” is in black and white and color. Notice the background is painted yellow and the shoes are painted red. The movie, the Wizard of Oz begins in black and white and moves into color. It was a cinematic breakthrough. This collage shows Dorothy in black and white and color. If you look closely, you’ll notice that her face is in both greys and pinks. The background is painted yellow because she’s back on the yellow brick road.
The title Multiples refers to the 3 adorable images of Toto sitting by Dorothy Gale. I thought Toto was so adorable there had to be more than one – so the dogs can keep each other company while they’re waiting to return to Kansas.
© Nancy Egol Nikkal, July 2014
Studio: Media Loft, Studio 1F, 50 Webster Ave., New Rochelle, NY 10801
nancy@nikkal.com • nikkal.com • artofcollage.wordpress.com