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Foreclosure series, activity books
Foreclosure. The word itself is grim, implying somber tones of black and gray. But that's not what we get from printmaker Karen Lederer.
Karen is Ann's college friend from Washington University in St. Louis. After finishing her Bachelor's in Fine Arts, she hied of to Italy making use of her minor in Italian.
She settled in Brooklyn after and now assists contemporary artist Tara Donovan. After her day job is done, she finds time to work on her own pieces, the most recent of which is her activity books.
Unlike what we remember, Karen's activity workbooks aren't just for children. She binds thick, candy-colored paper and emblazons them with the word "Foreclosure." Though tackling an emotionally fraught subject, Karen's color palette mutes the stigma of her topic. Her use of images culled from a vintage children's coloring books also help numb the trauma.
On one workbook, she juxtaposes a print of a house on bright blue paper with the body of young lady as if sneaking away. Is this the average American trying to get away from their mortgage? Set in pink paper, a gun's outline on the lower left figures as prominently as the house on the upper right on another workbook, implying a strange sort of glee mixed with desperation.
Inside, she thoughtfully created small games, similar to a child's workbook, in the hopes of helping others through this tough period. "It gives people a chance to reflect on the issue and interact with it," says Karen.
Though dealing with a contemporary issue, Karen's workbooks evoke a certain sense of nostalgia, almost like illustrations of Tom Sawyer do. It seems in her world even the sad take on a certain lightheartedness--perhaps that's exactly what we need to get through this.
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