We're coming around full circle with a charming new duo by Amy Ross today—just in time for our 7th birthday! Fruits of Leisure #1 and Fruits of Leisure #2 are a fantastical parade straight out of Amy's mad-scientist inspired mind.
Fruits of Leisure #1 by Amy Ross
Classical contrapposto, succulent fruit, and divine flora are meticulously spliced like DNA sequences in Fruits of Leisure #1 and Fruits of Leisure #2. With the carefully selected vintage images, these collages make my art-school brain kick into overdrive. I think about the contemporary artist's dilemma that "everything has been done before." Yet Amy Ross squashes that statement in these collages, with all of their bits of Dutch masters, Renaissance beauty, and Victorian scientific illustrations recombined into something quite complex and modern. On the surface humor, sweetness, and beauty are on parade, but Amy makes it clear these fantastic hybrids are also a comment on "the perversion of the natural world wrought by genetic engineering and mutation gone awry." It's like the beautiful fruit (genetically modified) on display at the supermarket—they certainly look tasty, and seem harmless—but are they?
Fruits of Leisure #2 by Amy Ross
Back to partying with these wee sprites—Fruits of Leisure #1 and Fruits of Leisure #2 are more than perfect to commemorate our lucky 7 since Amy's work is intertwined with the very beginning of 20x200. Her sold out and much loved Manshroom was the very first print sold on the site—purchased by a dear friend of Jen's with a fondness for little brown mushrooms. With a virtual storefront, there was no $20 bill to pin on the wall, but we're honored instead to have Manshroom as a fond reminder these 7 years later.
We've come a long way—and hundreds of thousands of prints—toward Jen's Art for Everyone® mission! I hope you'll commemorate the magical alchemy of art (and 20x200!) this special birthday by hanging an Amy Ross on your wall too. We've brought back all of Amy's available editions to make hanging one... or two... or three easier!
With art for everyone,
Carrie Strine
Carrie Strine is 20x200’s Artist Relations Manager. In her downtime, Carrie quilts, knits and constructs cozy garments and items for the home. Browse her site and follow her on Instagram.
