Pearle Northrop

Artist Statement
It wasn’t until I was in my twenties that I started taking what I do seriously and it took even longer to consider myself an artist. I love to paint whatever I can get my hands on from things as small as a Scrabble® piece to as big as a dresser and hopefully even bigger someday. Whatever it is I will paint it. I love transforming trash into treasure literally. Imagine that a chair that came from a dumpster (2006) made it into a museum (2009). It blows me away to think that something I did creates a sense of awe in a viewer’s eye.
I was talking to a friend a few years back about my love for furniture, my relationship with chairs in particular. There was a chair that I found discarded and ultimately forgotten. I came upon this chair accidentally. I wasn't looking for a relationship. Anyway, the chair was a very handsome chair with so many things to look at. His back was decorative; his arms were long and lean. His legs...I have never seen such beautiful legs. But he was beaten down. His self-esteem had long been worn out. His seat, which was repeatedly upholstered over years, was torn and faded. His stuffing was busting out revealing his age and loss of pride. Me, being a care taker and rescuer of sorts....picked up the chair and brought it home. He sat at the top of the stairs for a few weeks in a corner. My friends however saw this chair and commented on how ugly he was. They wondered why I had him in my home commenting on how dirty he was and how unattractive he was due to the years of neglect. I ignored them and kept him around. Finally one day I decided to put him on my coffee table and take the layers of cloth and wool stuffing off of his seat. Then I cleaned him, primed him and painted him black. Three months later I sat back and looked at him and this is what I saw.....A chair, a man restored...but not only restored but given a whole new purpose. He was beautiful again. He was unique and wonderful....The same chair that my friends were grossed out by....is now a chair that they ask permission to touch. Amazing.....One thing is for certain...NOTHING STAYS THE SAME! Change is inevitable and what is ugly or dirty or discarded as trash can be saved, can be rescued and can be made shinier than new!
Taking discarded forgotten pieces and giving them their self-esteem back is a passion for me. Living in a world where we discard things so easily I’d like to think I am making an itty bitty difference.
Pearle Northrop

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Shattered Blue

I worked hours on this ornament. It was lovely. I had it out in my living room because looking at things painted blue w/ white glittered paint makes my heart happy. I like when my heart has flutters of visual happiness....the strange part of this is that when it fell yesterday and shattered on the floor, I wasn't angry or even sad. The strange part about it falling and busting into hundreds of pieces made me feel a burst of joy. What a bizarre emotion to feel when something I worked so hard on falls to its end. So I grabbed a camera and took a photo because I wanted to savor the moment longer than it actually lasted...I watched it all happen as if it were slow motion....it fell from my hand, hit the dresser top, rolled and fell....and POP it burst. It was a mundane itty bitty experience that I dug.
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1 comment:

  1. LJApril 27, 2010 at 6:36 PM

    They always say that there are no mistakes in arts and crafts. This is an opportunity to create something new from what you had. Even though, I'm sure the original was something gorgeous - as only Pearle will do. Please let us know what you'll re-create with it next.

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