Gunn Memorial Library Stairwell Gallery Presents: "Cover Stories & Cityscapes" by: Susan Lerner

The Gunn Memorial Library is pleased to present "Cover Stories & Cityscapes," an exhibition by Susan Lerner on display from September 28th through November 23rd, 2024. This exhibition showcases a captivating collection of hand-cut collages that blend vintage narratives with contemporary artistry.

"Cover Stories & Cityscapes” weaves together two series of hand cut collages, each rooted in the exploration of materials and the stories they hold. "Cover Stories" transforms forgotten vintage books into striking three-dimensional vignettes by deconstructing their volumes and enriching them with vintage illustrations and found photographs, evoking nostalgia and transporting viewers to another time and place. Inspired by a serendipitous flea market find of early 1900s NYC postcards, “Cityscapes" blends these historical fragments with hand-cut maps and vintage imagery. Each collage is named after places or vernacular associated with New York City.

Susan is a New York City and Washington, CT based contemporary hand-cut collage artist. In her prior profession as a Certified Flavor Chemist, Susan ‘collaged’ chemicals into unique flavors, but now she uses paper as her medium. She loves the collage process, finding joy in the hunt for imagery, meditation in cutting paper and delight in creating nostalgic compositions. Since 2017, she has shown her work in six solo shows in New York City and Northwest Connecticut and over 35 group shows including Norway, Germany and Paris. Her work has been published in numerous periodicals including “Collage Care Transforming Emotions and Life Experiences with Collage” by Laurie Kanyer and its companion book, “Collage Care, the Method”. She is the co-founder of the New York Collage Ensemble which promotes a supportive community of like-minded analog collage artists in NYC.