A new series of collages by Chicago artist Andrew Young is currently on display at the Amerika Haus (Karolinenplatz 3). The artist is known for his fascinating images—geometric, symmetrical patterns that resemble tile application are the background for plants and animals created with paint, handmade papers and, as Young puts it, “found material and fragments of private keepsakes.” The handmade papers are tinted with such natural pigments as a deep reddish-brown that the artist painstakingly extracted from the minerals of a stone he brought back from Pakistan. His multi-layered images offer a sense of depth and of the passage of time by incorporating early postage stamps, elegant handwritten excerpts from Thoreau’s journals and Chinese text. Young says his works are inspired by his childhood memories: his father mailed him mysteriously wrapped packages from abroad during a stint with the Foreign Service. The artist sees his works as “meditations on nature and longing.” Andrew Young’s collages are on display Monday–Friday 9 am–6 pm and Wednesday until 8 pm. Admission is free of charge.
