Artist of the Week: Ann Toebbe

Red Plastic Plates, 2008, archival pigment print from
cut paper painting on cardboard, via 20x200

Ann Toebbe is a Chicago-based artist who paints vibrant interiors and exteriors from memory. Whether it’s the balcony of an old apartment, her mother’s dining room with its table set in red plastic ware, or the run down house on her childhood block, her bird’s-eye view encompasses every element of the space in one hyper-detailed canvas. Her flattened graphic environments (which are usually devoid of people) and everything in them, personify a moment in time, and perfectly describe the person who inhabits them. Just as in memory, the way in which Toebbe renders the space skews the viewer’s sense of reality. I just want to wrap myself up in her bright ol’ crazy quilts. 

Drying Our Boots by the Stove, 2008, archival pigment print from acrylic gouache on panel, via 20x200

Detail of Drying Our Boots by the Stove

Burning Down the Second House, 2008, archival pigment print from
acrylic gouache on panel, via 20x200 

Vacuuming the Carpet, 2009,
oil and acrylic gouache on panel, 33"x 40" via anntoebbe.com

The Bachelor, 2009, gouache on panel, 9"x 12" via anntoebbe.com

Toebbe’s work actually reminded me of my own childhood memories: watching the Disney version of Sleeping Beauty (is there any other?) and reading the Golden Book adaptations of Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp. In my hunt for a photo reference, I discovered that they were all illustrated by artist Eyvind Earle. Check out the stylistic similarities for yourself: 

- Cathleen 

[Images from 20x200, anntoebbe.com, Michael Sporn Animation, and J.L.Clark's blog]