Baton Rouge Gallery: Nonny Oddlocken

Last worksNonny Oddlockenwere deeply inspired by the experience of a child brought up by an agoraphobic aunt and a working mother. While the artist’s mother worked as a waitress, Nonny spent a lot of time with her aunt, who could not leave her house because of a mental illness. Looking back at this experience, she reflects: “What could have been a catastrophic environment has instead turned into a world of magical realism.” For her, her early life was filled with her aunt's magical creations, such as chicks leaving a chewing gum in the windowsill and a child named “Toots” who lived in a huge pear tree near their door. The combination of these memoirs along with Catholic references, kajun folklore and a scrap of New Orleans voodoo led the artist to her latest work, “Tiny, Small Fables,” which used handmade paper, found images, and embroidery.