CHINOISERIES

Chinoiserie themes have been popular in fine and decorative art since the 17th century. The west developed an insatiable appetite for eastern goods as the age of exploration opened trade routes to the Far East. Europeans and Americans craved porcelain, textiles, lacquered goods, and many other items from China and other Asian nations that few westerners could ever hope to visit. My own preoccupation with chinoiserie subjects is fueled by the light hearted fantasy that typifies chinoiserie imagery and a fascination with transforming the character of the imagery into results seen from a contemporary point of view.