A Marginal Existence
Aaron Needle
I’ve named my art show ‘A Marginal Existence’ taking the name from a collage I made in the 1980’s that consisted of an ornate border surrounding the phrase, ‘A marginal existence is better than none.’ It’s a pun on the fact that designing the margins is a significant part of my artwork.
The central images in my collages are often photocopies of late 19th, or early 20th Century advertisements known as ‘trade cards’. I love resurrecting these precursors to contemporary ads so they may be once again appreciated for their artistry and wit. These images are supplied to me by relatives who deal in rare books and also, with permission, from the Baker Library collection at the Harvard Business School.
I studied art briefly in college before withdrawing due to mental illness. Afterwards, I continued making graphic art such as birthday cards and posters. I came to like working with paper simply because there’s less of a clean-up involved than there is with paint. But in many of my collages I still strive to achieve the effect and look of paint. I purchase the marble paper I use locally from Chena River Marblers in Amherst, Massachusetts.
If you’d like to send me a comment, or have any questions regarding this show feel free to email me, Aaron, at aaron.needle@gmail.com.