So why have I titled this new batch of collages utopia? I can't help but to tie the concept of utopia with dreamy optimism - the same kind that swept through the US after WWII, when everything was brighter, better, and more advanced. A little bit too shiny and gleeful if you ask me. But, out of that era came all manner of fantastic mid-century design that I love. The shapes and colors of that time have inspired these new collages. I collect vintage kitchen ware, mainly from the 50s, and I adore the bright colors, organic forms (think boomerang patterns and kidney shaped coffee tables). Modern design suddenly became a little more mainstream, and you had people like Charles and Ray Eames, Eva Zeisel, Russel Wright, Isamu Noguchi, Alvar Aalto, and a host of others who not only designed things for living, but also tied a philosophy and concept of modern living into architecture, interior design, furniture... right on down to the dishes we use. The designers of that time may be unknown or forgotten to some, but their designs continue to inspire and influence contemporary art and design today.

Utopia #18
From a series of collages I began June, 2008.
10x7.5"
Decorative and origami papers on watercolor paper with acrylic medium. Collage is sealed with a matte acrylic varnish.

Available in my Etsy shop - see my profile.