Pelican Rapids Smear

7" x 7"

Title: Pelican Rapids Smear

This profound mixed-media collage invites contemplation on memory, preservation, and the passage of time. The piece is built around an authentic, antique cabinet card portrait of a young girl, originally taken by the Rundell Studio in Pelican Rapids, MN.

The historical photograph is deliberately obscured and recontextualized by broad, expressive horizontal smears of purple and pink acrylic paint. This technique creates a jarring visual tension—the clear, formal composition of the 19th-century portrait contrasts sharply with the contemporary, abstract mark-making. The identity of the subject is lost, yet the emotion remains, raising questions about what we choose to remember and what history intentionally forgets.

Perfect for the collector who values a blend of historical context, striking color, and abstract intervention.

• Medium: Mixed-Media Collage (Antique Photograph, Acrylic Paint, Ephemera)

• Themes: Memory, Identity, Abstract Intervention

• Key Visuals: Antique Cabinet Card Portrait, Purple/Pink Acrylic Smears