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Big-eyed Kewpie dolls. Plastic army men.
America was very ‘safe.’ Of course, there were
1950s and ‘60s record covers of chiffon-
all kinds of political events going on, but I was
clad, crimson-lipped femme fatales. Wind-
too young to be aware of them at the time. But
up robots. Miniature Madonnas….Welcome
with the still life narratives I am doing now,
to the droll and whimsical world of John
I do try to capture both the ‘happy’ life we
Purlia’s carefully assembled dioramas in which
saw through Tv and the darker parts of life
youthful playtime innocence is multilayered
that were going on then, too. As for why I use
with Atomic Age cocktail party sophistication.
album art from the ‘50s and early 60s, I just
Capturing these “frozen moments” of pop
love the way that women on the record covers
surrealism via his camera lens and humorous
looked during that time; the way they dressed,
titles, the 48-year-old software engineer/
their hair styles.
artist reminds grownups that the childhood
UTS: Your art influences range from classic
affection they once had for their favorite toys
Renaissance art to monster movies and sci-fi
never really does go away.
films to pop culture stuff like Cracker Jack
UTS: You use many things in your dioramas
prizes and Gumby?!
including wooden alphabet blocks, wind-
JP: Oh, I loved watching Gumby! Some time
up toys, old LP record jackets, plastic action
ago, I was able to actually meet and get a
figures and much more. What comes first
picture with Art Clokey, the man who created
when you are assembling your still-life
[him]. That was a real thrill for me. Yes, it’s true
narrative tableaus?
that I get my inspiration from all those things.
John Purlia: The ideas usually start with
And other influences like Greek and Roman
an album cover that was made in the 1950s
mythology which fascinate me.
and early ‘60s, or an old book cover, or even
UTS: How do people respond to your
a book page that covers some odd or arcane
dioramas?
historical topic. That catches my attention first,
and then it sparks a story line. Then I start
JP: There are a lot of things going on in
to walk around my house, and look for
them so people spend a long time looking
characters and toys and objects which
at the photos. There’s a lot of different
will work with the story line….I have a
angles and clues like the words spelled
cabinet on one whole wall of shoe box
out with the letters on the wooden blocks.
drawers that [are] filled with the things I
I think of my dioramas as one big party
have collected for the dioramas.
with many different conversations going in.
More than anything, though, I am trying to
UTS: Is there a particular reason why you
create something that gives people a sense
only use items from the 1950s and
of delight. UTS
‘60s?
JP: I watched a lot of Tv when I was
John Purlia’s first solo exhibit, “Plastic
a kid. Shows like I Love Lucy and Leave
Prophets of vinyl redemption,” will be on
display at distinction gallery in escondido,
It to Beaver were on all the time. Those
February 14 - March 7, 2009. For more
shows and others on television made
information, visit
johnpurlia.com.
it seem like that period of time in
MyuNDerTHeSuN.COM l February 31
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