The following article was submitted by Barb Bundy-Jost, an Educator, Collector, and (in her words) an Aficionado of All Things Wacky & Tacky.
Long ago, in a faraway land called Cleveland, WI, a wonder-eyed couple found an old farmhouse nestled amongst beat-up buildings, a wooded stream, and plenty of nature. The place needed work! But . . . We were YOUNG! We were DETERMINED! We were CRAZY!
We sealed the deal and bought the place! As a parting gift, the realtor took a picture of this dynamic and clueless duo, cleverly placing us in front of the house. Who knew this innocent action would be the catalyst behind LUNACY? Very reminiscent of Grant Wood’s “American Gothic!” Interesting to note: Wood’s idea for the painting came while he was visiting the small town of Eldon, Iowa. He spotted a little wood farmhouse, with a single oversized window, made in a style called Carpenter Gothic. The familiar image was exhibited publicly in 1930 for the first time at the Art Institute of Chicago, winning a three-hundred-dollar prize and instant fame for Grant Wood.
SO, there we were, standing shoulder to shoulder, poised and holding a pitchfork. The Polaroid spewed forth from the camera and developed into—one serious COLLECTION OBSESSION!
Barb Bundy-Jost
That photo was an inspiration to this art teacher! A whole painting unit urging students to get inspired to paint their own interpretation of the famous painting by replacing the pitchfork with something they were passionate about! At that time, I religiously walked around the neighborhood with my Sony Walkman, so my demo piece had the couple holding a Walkman instead of a pitchfork. The paintings were beautiful! From basketballs to dance shoes and video game controllers. The sky was the limit when it came to creativity! The “American Gothic” was in the minds and hearts of my students because the unit was fun!
Not long after, students started to pepper my desk with “American Gothic” parodies! The first was a Mickey and Minnie Gothic poster purchased while on vacation. A Garbage Pail Kids card and postcards soon followed. Our vision was altered because of this darn unit! We were seeing things we never saw before! President Ronald and Mrs. Reagan as the “American Gothic.” Elvis and Priscilla had a version and so did Miss Piggy and Kermit! Our classroom became a gallery of sorts, a place where interested parties could come and view the growing collection. There was excitement in the air! Students were talking and sharing what they learned with others and a movement emerged! Our “American Gothic” eyes multiplied and people soon started sending me their finds!
Needless to say, thirty years later, the collection has grown to 100s of pieces. I can wear parts of the collection and eat on other parts. I can sit on a piece of the collection, lay my head on a piece of the collection, and I can fondly remember my loving father carving me a prize possession in the collection. I can also haul the collection to Manitowoc Public Library and share it with you from Tuesday, July 13, through Thursday, September 2, in an exhibition we’re calling—unsurprisingly—“Collection Obsession! Barb Bundy-Jost’s ‘American Gothic.’”
Join us in celebrating my “American Gothic” COLLECTION OBSESSION and walk away with “American Gothic” eyes!
