JohnLuml<in ASSTMBTAGT ARTIST Vhen a boy from conservativeSurrey, England, lands in 1950s beatnik Los Angeles, there's a pretty good chance he'll be drawn to art. And when he relocatesto CapeCod, Massachusetts, theret even a better chancethat he'll truly discover art-and transformthosediscoveri e si n t o h i s o w n a r t i s r i ce x p r e s s i o n . John
Lumkin's assemblage art
emergedfrom that very experience.As a boy, he tried his hand at watercolorand sketchingand was a lead guitaristin a Southern California rock band. After brief stints illustratingalbum coversand designing Hollywood sets for music videos and film, he beganworking on his own art,which might bestbe labeled D a d a - i n s p i r esdo c i a cl o m m e n t a r y . "My art is deconstructionist," Lumkin says,"in that I try to connectpeoplewith their lives,help them relive fond memories, or reflect on choices they made along the way." Lumkincombsconstructionsites,yard Above: Aerostream. Right:Aerosfreamdetails Opposite from left: Flora Chip, Geocrest, and Lunar Flair
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sales,and garage sales for signature pieces-old
car parts,
retail displays, basicaily anything that had a life prior to being discarded-and assemblesthem as a story. He uses fastenerssuch as nails or glue, but no welding; every piece mustfit perfectly naturally,with the intricacy of a mosaic. Much of the impact of his art depends on how it is
with
'remember that old stationwagon we usedto have?' I
displayed, so Lumkin frequently customizes living rooms,
just remind peopleof thosetimes through my art."
dens, or even sheds to accommodate a piece. It is a sklll he learned building sets for Holly'wood. "l've reworked
Often he will add old pictures,ads,or graphicsto the found object, covering them with a film of gessoor sol-
many interiors to properly showcase a piece," he says.
vent. The ink forms a waterproofbond to the panelrhe
Creation begins with scavenging. "l have a bam fuIl of relics," Lumkin says. "l prowl around abandoned areas or go
then lifts and transfersthe imageto his work-in-progress. Since he has lived on the Cape, he often useslocal
an Oldsmobile logo he found in a junkyard. "That car drove
materials,such as seaglass,buoys,vacationpost cards,or drawings.SaysLumkin, "All of them reflect the natural
children to school, took them to baseball or ballet practice, to
antiquity of the Cape."-Tom Keer
to yard salesand find-to
my mind-treasures." He points to
$ocery stores, and on family vacations Just because the car is in a junkyard doesn't mean that the experiences it provided are forgotten. How many conversations have you started
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SeeJohn Lumkin'sart at Harvest Callery in Dennis or on the Veb at www.harvestgallery.net.
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