Lorin Labardee
It's dark out there. I make fun
Artist Statement: “An Encyclopedia of Hats,” is a series about the malleability of identity. See below for more
Artist Statement: “An Encyclopedia of Hats,” is a series about the malleability of identity. See below for more
What if we try on identities as though searching for a good look in a hat store: rugged, silly, sweet, too loose, too tight? My “Encyclopedia of Hats” series was inspired by volunteer work mentoring young men, adolescents searching everywhere for their true identities. We choose or are given: a crown, a baby bonnet, or maybe worse; random attempts at the right fit.
I paint my portraits on old books. Their colored fabric covers are fine, delicate, worn and tattered, the portraits aged from their journey through time, space and many hands--just as men might wear thin as they struggle to find their right path through life. The titles represent the age of their subject in months denoted as chapters; evoking a “Book of Life” scale for this series-a search for identity spanning decades, possibly without resolution.