Tracy Hambley
Tracy Hambley
My shadow boxes are influenced by my love of writing and collecting. For over 23 years I have been rum
maging through flea markets, antique shops and attics acquiring a huge bounty of vintage objects and paper memorabilia. I use these items as narrative to explore a wide variety of themes all presented in a 1 ½" deep shadow box constructed of foamcore and illustration board, which are then framed in wood and sealed with glass. Using seemingly commonplace found objects- game boards, toys, eggs, maps, rulers, postcards, watch faces, to name just a few- I hope to lure the viewer into a world that at first seems distantly magical and nostalgic, but upon further inspection inspires them to make a personal connection based on their own memories and experiences.
Did you ever try to cut the face off a violin or take apart a 1933 Corona typewriter that is made from the same metal used to construct Army tanks? Ever cut a microscope in half with a hack saw only to lose the use of your arm for two days? Ever extract keys from an old piano or take apart a broken grandfather clock without damaging the face? Ever glue hundreds of pearls on a spoon or hundreds of shells on a wooden box? I have-and more- and I have the scars and failing eyesight to prove it.
Because of the age and condition of many of the items I use in my art, it is necessary for me to use several different types of glues, silicones and adhesives to secure these items into my shadow boxes. These finicky, old objects react well to some glues, while rejecting others. To compound this picayune behavior, some objects- due to their size and weight and even after my expert surgical techniques-must be wired, nailed or screwed into the foamcore backing of each box.
Each shadow box is a one of a kind creation. I may recreate a theme but duplicate it exactly? Not a chance. How can you duplicate a soldier’s letters written during WW11, or a high school student’s Botany assignment with flowers pressed between the pages of a notebook dated 1936 or hand colored maps from the 1800's? Much like you can never duplicate a memory or experience, the same sentiment holds true for my shadow boxes.
Collections (partial)
New YorkYankees Organization
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, London, Paris, Miami
British Airways, JFK International Airport, New York City
Los AngelesDodgers, Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
Yankelovich Partners, New York City
Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Youngs Broadcasting Group, New York City
Institute for Diabetes Discovery, New Haven, CT
American University, Washington, DC
Marriott Hotels International
Ackerman Institute, New York City
Wells, Rich and Green, Inc. New York City
First Matter, Westport, CT
Paradigm Group, Fairfield, CT
Rockbill Inc., New York City
The Ruth and Marvin Sackner Archive of Concrete and Visual Poetry, Miami, FL
Reckson Associates, Long Island, NY
MilwaukeeVeterans Hospital
Teachers Insurance Annuities Association, New York City
Biltmore Farms, Asheville, NC
IndianaState University, Terre Haute, IN
YaleUniversity, New Haven,. CT
Exhibitions (partial)
Boxes As Art, Flinn Gallery, Greenwich, CT
Newbury Fine Arts, Boston , MA
The Boxists, Westport Art Center, Westport, CT
Summa Gallery, New YorkCity
Sailor’s Valentine Gallery, Nantucket, MA
The Gallery at Lincoln Center, New York City
BedfordVillage Historical Society, Bedford Village, NY
Somerstown Gallery, Somers, NY
Publications
Featured in Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion Magazine Feb/March. 2005
Cover: Sunshine Artist Magazine July, 2002
Author of The Toymaker featuring a limited edition of serigraphs by James A. Carter, published by Lublin Graphics.