Jan Huling's Page

In a recent review, the New York Times dubbed my work “oddball assemblages,” and aptly so. My three-dimensional collages combine found objects with surface design, sometimes touching on narrative themes. I’m particularly drawn to religious and political icons, inspired by a continuing fascination with indigenous and popular culture and world religions. By juxtaposing these icons with an eclectic assortment of objects, the viewer is challenged to consider common images within an altered context.

In each of my constructions, surface design is the key component. Seed beads adorn objects in colorful patterns, camouflaging their original circumstance, allowing us to see them as pure form without their usual connotations. The process is slow and meticulous, zen-like, with the choice of forms motivating color schemes and iconography.

Certain themes continue to resonate for me. The dolls I frequently include in my constructions explore dreams of childhood while removing them from the realm of cherished playthings. For me, musical instruments represent the lyrical joy that music imparts to our lives — and hearkens back to youthful dreams of virtuosity. Birds, in their quicksilver beauty, represent ultimate freedom.

I’m also now working on two-dimensional pieces, using tiny colored paper dots to embellish found images such as postcards. My goal in covering the surfaces of 3-D objects and flat images, is to transform the mundane, allowing us to imagine the magic within the familiar.