Souvenirs II

Barbara Kronlins
Mixed media
2011

Discovery Hall, Third Floor

Known for her intricate paper collages, Barbara Kronlins uses an approach that combines art and life; Kronlins’ takes found paper objects - calendars, newspapers, letters, postcards, sheet music, magazines, signs, maps, paperback books - and cuts, arranges, and paints the paper until a motif appears. At that point she will individually glue each piece of cut paper using a meticulous and laborious process. Her compositions are vibrant, with layers of color and texture revealing snippets of text, symbols, and graphics from contemporary culture. Her art making focuses is often on themes of childhood experience and road travel; the artist says that her goal is to “bring the distant closer.” 
 
Kronlins earned her BA in English and Art from Western Michigan University in 1971. Her work has been exhibited at major galleries and museums including at The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and The San Francisco Art Institute, and is collected by leading private and public institutions.