Of Buckaroos and Branches
Lisa Kokin's delicate art pieces began as cowboy pulp novels
"Melancholy Rancher"
Lisa Kokin
Book covers, shredded pages, mull, thread, wire.
79” x 27” x 7.5”
Gail Severn Gallery
400 First Ave. N.
Ketchum, ID
208-726-5092
gailseverngallery.com
THE ARTIST: LISA KOKIN
Book covers, shredded pages, mull, thread, wire. 79” x 27” x 7
BEST KNOWN FOR: Making art from books in a process she refers to as “sewing and alterations.”
INSPIRATION: This work is part of a series, “How the West Was Sewn,” which came to life when the artist rescued a pile of old pulp cowboy novels from the recycling center. Kokin says “they begged to be rearranged and recontextualized.”
A NEW READING: Kokin tames the rip-roaring violence and lawlessness of the novels by means of the traditional “women’s work” of sewing. The colorful spines and daring and dastardly pages take on the gently organic and life-affirming natural forms of leaves, branches and tendrils.
