The Message in the Hollow Oak
Laura Ruby. The Message in the Hollow Oak, 1998.
Description:
The Message in the Hollow Oak
My "Nancy Drew Series" takes as its primary reference the fictional woman detective, Nancy Drew, the subject of an extremely popular series of books in American culture. The character Nancy Drew represents the independence and problem-solving intelligence of the detective figure, while also alluding to the independence, creativity and determination of the artist.
This screenprint reveals a mystery played out on a favorite American pastime, the game board. The cards in the deck represent chapters from this particular Nancy Drew book, and images from the text appear at intervals along the "yellow brick road." The viewer enters into the work with the commonplace American popular culture locator, "You Are Here"—familiar at malls, zoos, museums and the like.The viewer playing this game then passes through the portal to the egress—a reference to P.T. Barnum's American Museum. Sam Spade, the detective in The Maltese Falcon, is located near important digging of clues.
Medium:
Printmaking
Tags:
Nancy Drew Series, yellow brick road, Sam Spade, The Maltese Falcon, P. T. Barnum, egress
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