In the New York Times... who knew?

Editorial

In The New York Times... who knew?

This edition of The New York Times presents a body of newspaper-centered collage works by Los Angeles area artist Jan Blair.

Blair began by working with The Los Angeles Times newspapers in 1996 re-working the "news" that came to be known simply as "Pages." When the L. A. paper abruptly changed its format at the end of 2009, she switched to The New York Times, using the Sunday editions exclusively since August 2014.

With the mindset and curiosity of a newly minted archeologist, Blair culled the sections of The New York Times, excavating text fragments, pictures and headlines, digging for clues that often led to a fascinating exploration of our own culture – how we exhibit our good and bad behaviors, attitudes and not-so-hidden desires.

Although each Page depends upon the news of that day, together they possess a timeless quality, drawing from the tradition of collage artists and poets of the 20th century. This work not only speaks to the viewer, it speaks to the reader in all of us.