Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Wonder World


8" x 8", 970K

Digital images and scanned picture from Where's Waldo: The Wonder Book, by Martin Hansford.

Getting ready to move I do not feel like I really have a home right now, so instead I created a surreal home.
I started this piece with a portion of a page from Martin Hansford's Where's Waldo: The Wonder Book. I then used to clone tool to alter the illustration and keep only the parts I wanted. I added a small image of the Philadelphia skyline to identify my approximate location. Finally I added a yellow smiley face with a waving arm, a character often found in my work.

17 comments:

aRae said...

Hi, well it seems quite fitting that you should invent a surreal home under the circumstances..and quite a colourfull happy enviroment it is too...it made me wander what image we would have all chosen had our "enviroment / home" been allowed to be imaginary..i think mine would be a wee bit warmerand a little less windy!..nice to meet you..amanda

norcrossl said...

I immediately started laughing when I saw this. It looks like fun! Although I know that moving isn't much fun. I'm sure your imagination gets you through it.

gracki said...

This is such a playful and colorful image that will make anyone smile! I hope moving goes smoothly!

Anonymous said...

*grins* Now that is much better than my own bitter comment on my home. I wish I'd thought of that.

my new blog is at http://betweenscyllaandcharybidis.blogspot.com/

The old one has been flagged as spam, and isn't functional. I thank you for your comments, though.

Art Ed Guy said...

What a crazy, fun and piled on piece you have made. Though I can certainly see your Where's Waldo's reference point, I can also see many other potential influences going on here in this jumble of shapes and figures. Your make believe world makes me think of things like Willy Wonka or a scene from an old Bugs Bunny cartoon where everything is literally going bonkers....yet in a good way. I also see video games and the compulsive assembling of stuff of a few "outsider" artist I know....more and more and more stuff until the picture plan nearly breaks from all the commotion and contents.

Christy Hahn said...

Lauren,

Your piece is the most postcard-like to me. I could see this featured in a greeting of any kind - greeting card or postcard. I like how you've managed to create perspective with a foreground, middle and background. They are all very distinct. I think it's interesting that you chose a "Where's Waldo" image to place between the smiley face and Philly. "Limbo" is a strange, surreal place to live.

Bryan said...

Very playful. Your piece would have been well-received by the surrealists.

~ Bryan

Sam said...

I love this work. This is really playful and looks like a children's book illustration.

jmkilburn said...

What a playful place! Can I come over? Being in transition can really leave you wondering about your direction, pace, choices, and have you grasping at short-term decisions that will affect your long-term gameplan. This is at least a safe and happy interior space, asking only to stay a while. Very nice.

anne corrance monk said...

Hi there
Thanks for your comment.Like everybody else ,this work makes me smile.For me,it conjures up the Wizard of OZ , with the yellow and the Emerald City in the background.It is funny and I like the directness and friendliness of the yellow guy.Also,it makes me think of community and the need to belong, whether this is in a place or within a group.This place no longer needs to be physical, it can be a virtual community where people never actually meet but think alike or are involved in a shared experience.Like this project we're doing....! It also means that it is easier to leave a place,at the touch of a button.
This work is multi layered and made me think.
anne

ChambersoftheSea said...

Thank you for your comments on my blog. How do you feel about Lower Merion? Did you grow up here? I'm a new transplant, so maybe the contradictions of the place stand out more sharply for me.

Amy said...

this is so funny I laughed when I saw it. I think it is funny and sad after you read why it is a surreal home , but I am sure your new home will be fun too!

Christy Hahn said...

Hi Lauren,

Thanks for you comment on "Sanctuary". I never thought to look at my image as a stained-glass window, but you are right. I love hearing different people's interpretations. I think it's important to see my art through another person's eyes.

Laura said...

I can really identify with your piece, I moved recently and my life as well feels chaotic. Great piece it is a lot of fun!

Jennifer Welsh said...

I love it! It's really comical. I remember you telling the story of how all your moving situations were not working out in Research Class when we made the collages. This makes perfect sense with your story.

gracki said...

Thanks for your comment Lauren! It's been great conversing with you this semester about our class and the art work we have produced. I appreciate how you noticed the playful energy I wanted to convey.

favorite things said...

Your choice of imagery is playful, but the composition suggests an underlying intelligence behind the creation of the work.