Norman Rockwell’s illustrations with their “armies of perfectly imperfect girls” never resonated with artist Niki Johnson, a member of the “Atari 2600” generation, as they peered at her from porcelain commemorative plates that seemed to be everywhere during her youth — the pages of magazines, television screens, the walls of middle America’s homes.
And yet, some 30 years later, she would begin purchasing these commemorative plates, at thrift stores for just a few dollars each, tucking them away for a moment that felt right, for a project yet unrealized. Over a decade, she would amass a collection of a few hundred Rockwell plates, along with dozens of other motifs and designs featuring American landscapes, playing children, churches and historical landmarks, flora and fauna.
CRANK vases, installation view, 2019, Coiled Red Earthenware – Kid Tested Mother Approved, 13 x 13 x 22″
Sergei Isupov
Steven Young Lee
Crystal Morey
Kadri Pärnamets
Peter Pincus
Paul Scott
Linda Sikora
Caroline Slotte
Dirk Staschke
Mike Stumbras
Susan Thayer
Mara Superior
Kurt Weiser
Mara Superior
You must be logged in to post a comment.