Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Coincidental Art


Check out this awesome photograph I found at the Salvation Army. I was just about to leave, and I actually turned back to peek behind a super ugly, homemade version of Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring to find this hiding behind it. I'm soooo in love with it.

I'll get to more of the details in a second, but first let me show you how this type of imagery has been following me around the last couple of years, and why I think I was probably supposed to buy this photo (if you believe in that sort of thing, which sometimes I do).


FIRST, last year a little game called Limbo came out. It's the first game in years and years and years that I've gotten completely immersed in. Not only was it fun, but it was visually GORGEOUS and so different from any other game out there. Really simple, beautiful, silhouetted environments. REALLY moody (and hilariously violent, but that's beside the point). Even if you aren't into video games, give this a watch. It's great.



ALSO, last year I learned about artist Brooks Shane Salzwedel...


Brooks draws on tape and then layers each piece with resin on top of one another, creating these super detailed pieces of art that are full of depth. So amazing.


THEN, when J opened a second location for his business, they moved into the building that is home to the Woodside/Braseth Gallery. These beautiful paintings by Jared Rue have been hanging in the windows.




(Forgive my terrible cell phone pictures. If you're in Seattle you should go visit the gallery anyway. Open on Saturdays!)

Okay, see what I'm saying? Following me everywhere! Is it coincidence? Meant to be? I don't know, but when I found this photo at the thrift store, I considered it very well should be mine. It was marked at $12.99, but they were having a Veteran's Day sale, so I got it for 50% off.


The frame is a bit dated (green faux wood grain!), and the mat has turned a dingy shade of yellow that will never do, but those are easy enough to change. Look at what's hidden in the photo...


Lovely, right?


It's by local photographer King Wu, and according to the information on the back is a photograph from Huangshan, China. It's a shame it's numbered and signed on the old mat that I'll be replacing, but I'm over it.


The matting was very well done - lots of glue. I opted to not try and pry the photo off it's backing, I was sure I would ruin it.


I was expecting to see a lot of discoloration around the edges, since the mat was so yellowed, but it actually wasn't too bad.


I plopped it into another frame I had in my ridiculousness stash of sale purchases, which also had two mats and was the exact same size...


Perfecto! I love it and can't wait to find the perfect spot for it. Three cheers for coincidences / meant-to-be art!

3 comments:

Mrs. V said...

I thought it was special....then the red umbrella...what a find!

Vicki said...

Isn't it rad? I felt so lucky to have found it.

Leslee said...

Oh Girl... What a find! Love the feeling behind these types of shots and yeah for you being so creafty as to we frame & mat that print!

Sounds like a great shop tp visit next visit to the North!