Mixed Media Assemblages by Olga de Klein
In Between, mixed media on wood
Olga de Klein is originally from the Netherlands, and currently resides in Tennessee. Olga’s recent works frequently take the form of mixed media assemblages using everything from found objects to drawing and painting techniques.
Cross Roads, mixed media on wood
Each work in Olga’s gallery of recent creations seems dense with narrative and concept. Old photographs, bits of string and yarn, and musical notes combine in many works to create objects that seem lost in time, imbued with a deep but cryptic meaning that the audience is tasked with unravelling. I like the way Olga allows materials to hang down from each work in the series – strings and ribbons continue for several inches after the hard substrate ends, creating a look that echoes drips of paint on an easel.
TN Aquarium 2012, yarn cozies wrapped around trees
Olga also creates public artwork, in the form of “yarn-bombing.” She wraps trees and architectural elements in hand-knitted tubes and strips of yarn. The brightly-colored knitted strips have a cobbled-together look that suggests passed-down craftsmanship, contrasting happily with the natural forms of trees or the hard corners of building pillars.
