Having been an avid collector of vintage bric-a-brac over the years, back in 2010 - not so long ago, really - as a change of pace from oil painting, I started using some of my accumulated "treasures" to create a few Joseph Cornell-inspired "shadowboxes." (Joseph Cornell, for those who don't know, was the pioneer of American assemblage art, back in the 50's and 60's. He's worth Googling.)
Anyway, some of my boxes were provocative. Some were mysterious. Some were nostalgic. Some were just playful, in the way they juxtaposed wildly contrasting elements.
But plainly they didn't all "work," and a few didn't stay intact for very long. I've offered up a few examples of these early "learning experiences," just for the record. Others, however, were more successful - and a few sold - so overall I was encouraged by the response.
Just maybe, I thought, I'm on to something here...
