Artist’s statement

As a child, I was taught about a magical place called heaven that existed somewhere in the sky. Good people lived there forever after death. I struggled to imagine its appearance - at one point, I envisioned it as a warehouse with shelves of bright, shiny orbs that were "souls." This idea that people’s core identity was eternal, and that they lived in a happy ideal place provided some comfort to me at the time.

I can no longer embrace this belief. Many of the tenants of the Catholic faith I grew up with just never made sense to me, even as a child. Yet I certainly understand the desire to believe in such a place. The idea that nothing remains after a loved one dies is incredibly painful. While I've lost my faith in heaven, I believe our loved ones exist in other ways after their physical presence ends. Legacies aren’t just for the rich and famous, and they endure in countless ways, both large and small. Many of us can find comfort and meaning in reflecting on and celebrating these enduring connections.

Why little collages?

Maman was born in France in 1932 and experienced the deprivations of life under German occupation during World War II. When the war ended she went to visit an Aunt in Switzerland. She was so excited to suddenly have ready access to magazines and newspapers that she held on to so many clippings and scraps of them that her family started calling her "Little Miss Paper." As an adult, she repurposed used cardboard and paper to make all kinds of boxes, containers, and dividers. She was very much a do-it-yourselfer and quite frugal way before it was trendy. Making collages and assemblages from reused materials is one way that I share her legacy.

The materials

Maman embodied autodidactism - the practice of self-education. Despite her keen mind and strong work ethic, her educational options were limited to secretarial school that only went to age sixteen. So she studied for two extra years on her own initiative to earn a Baccalaureate (the French equivalent of a full high school diploma). One of her main pleasures in life was to continue to educate herself through books, films, and "Great Minds'' audio lectures. She explored topics including philosophy, history, politics, religion, art, classical music, architecture, and ecology. She continued this when she immigrated to the United States at the age of thirty.

During one visit to France my Uncle Claude (her brother) showed me a set of old encyclopedias that Maman had left behind, and that he and my aunt had held onto for decades. Since the complete set was too bulky to transport by plane, I carefully removed and saved especially interesting pages of illustrations and then donated the books to an art center. For me, these encyclopedias symbolize her self-education and curiosity about the world.

Along with encyclopedia illustrations, I've used pages from Maman's shorthand practice book. Before recording and dictation machines, shorthand was considered essential for secretarial training. Since Maman kept few books, I'm unsure why she held onto this one. For me, it symbolizes both her self-directed learning and the era she grew up in - when a temporary secretarial career before marriage and family was considered the height of many women's aspirations.

Why Little Free Art Galleries?

Maman was generous and didn't believe in holding onto things others could use. As I approach my later decades, I'm learning to let go of possessions in general. While parting with items connected to her has been painful, I find it's part of my grieving process. Creating something new and then giving it away reminds me that life is about change and that we cannot hold onto things forever. I find comfort knowing that a small part of her lives on in these little collages.