Inspired by Thrifting: The Art of Jo Ann Tunnell Muench
Jo Ann TunnelL Muench, aka Sheena, Queen of the Hallway, is a collage artist whose work is inspired by thrifting and vintage clothing and media. The artist’s works are at turns humorous, surreal, and even oddly insightful in the ways that they blend and re-mix vintage advertisements and magazine imagery, human figures, and landscapes.
Jo Ann’s previous education in art and work with other media seems to inform her current collage practice. The artist has a great eye for colour and composition, and it’s interesting to see how she applies this sensibility to works in which the figures and backgrounds are, in a way, pre-made or found objects. The subject matter of Jo Ann’s work is partly determined by the magazines and publications that she buys and collects, and I get the sense that this limitation is also a source of inspiration for the artist.
A lover of vintage aesthetics, Jo Ann brings this particular taste into her works, creating series that fit together aesthetically while exploring a wide range of settings and figures. The prefab nature of the figures themselves allows for a clearer focus on narrative and symbolism, and these works don’t disappoint.
