Personal Information

Full Name

Leigh Radtke

Artist Bio

Collage is the art of image and material recycling. My life as a collage artist started with the idea of art created from the everyday objects that we take for granted, the things we throw away. I set out to create art that explores humanity and humanity’s use of resources centered on an every day accessible object; the bag. Art Is My Bag - States consists of clear plastic sandwich bags containing collage elements combining pop culture, historical icons, and a map of the United States. Each state collage is two-sided and hangs in a clear plastic sandwich bag. Art Is My Bag - States lead to a group show, that I participated in as an artist and curator, of 12+ artists called Art Is My Bag. Each artist created bag centric art (see http://artismybag.com). Art Is My Bag lead to my creation of BagLand using only paper grocery bags. By limiting myself to paper bags and bag images I discovered a bag lingo. Tomatoes became BagLanders, wine glasses were helmets, and the end of the world is the bottom of a bag. To visit BagLand check out my website at www.leighradtke.com

Recently I became a Storyteller. Storytelling is the art of not reading a story to an audience but telling them one. This allows my story to grow and change according to how I remember it and allows me (the teller) to find my own written and telling voice. When I decided to create collages for the Altered Barbie show, I once again used paper grocery bags to create new outfits and accessories for my Barbie Angels (I decided that we had all had enough of Barbie and knocked her off). But because of my participating in these two art forms, one influenced the other and the Barbie Angels became shadow puppets! I create art because it is just plain fun! And I hope that comes out in my work.

I have exhibited at the Oakland Museum, The Sun Gallery, and The Market Street Gallery, Age Song, The Studio Gallery, here at Sanchez, and at various galleries through out San Francisco and the Bay Area. I can also be found reciting poems and telling stories at Farley’s, the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7PM; Storytelling at Farley’s. www.farleyscoffee.com

Artist Statement

When I decided to do the Barbie show, all I had was a crazy idea that I would knock off Barbie, make her an angel, then dress her up in funny outfits. Of course I would do collages and since my medium at present are paper grocery bags and their images I thought, OK, I will create Barbie Angels and dress her using paper grocery bags. As I worked I realized that I wanted the shadows to appear on the wall behind her. I wanted Barbie to not only be deceased but become a shadow of her former self; the Angel Barbie Shadow Puppet was born. After some feedback, I decided to put them in Plexiglas because the shadows were too much fun and now the Angel Barbies can be hung from the ceiling to create those fun shadows. The shadows are now part of the exhibit.

Meet Cotton, Cotton creates wild shadows because of her wings and her fantastic ears. The next is Poochie, who has her very own bone (another fun shadow). Then there is Cubs; I hope you enjoy them. I had a lot of fun making them.

Leigh Radtke 9-1-09

History

Member for

16 years 9 months