Convert your old media into art to honor your memories
Summer has arrived, and I am craving a good road trip — windows down, sun shining across the horizon, and good music à la Nicole Kidman in Practical Magic. This craving is the idea behind my recent piece “Road Trip”: four cassette tapes with eight miniature oil landscape paintings depicting the journey across America from the west coast to the east. All of my road trip adventures have playlists, and when I look at each of the tape paintings, I can hear the songs that kept me company on those long drives. Of course, it also works in reverse; hearing a certain song can take me right back to the I-80, singing along to half of the words as I scout the skyline. That sense of transportation into memory and nostalgia is what I am trying to evoke with these tapes.
Welcome to Polygon Summer Camp! This summer we’re bringing you the best and brightest stories, all about camp vibes, that will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Join us!
COVID has resulted in several cycles of canceled plans, so I’ve taken several road trips to keep my wandering brain sane. Most of the reference photos I used for the paintings were photos I took on a cross-country drive in the summer of 2021. I’ve started painting other out-of-date pieces of technology, like old cellphones and laptops; they feel like slightly more substantial Polaroid pictures or other tokens of memory I carry with me. I enjoy bringing the phones with me to examine and enjoy in other contexts like the subway or in the park. With the right preparation, almost any surface can be painted, from shells and rocks to glass soda bottles or pickle jars. Finding objects to paint can easily become part of a vacation, and painting those objects when you get home is a great way to remember
Read more on polygon.com
