The wonderfully named Dopey lure belongs to an era when fishing equipment could have as much personality as the people using it.
Older lures often carried distinctive colors, shapes, finishes, and names that made them memorable long before anyone thought of them as collectibles.
American Material Memory asks us to look beyond that collectible value. The important question isn’t simply what the lure is worth today. It’s what it represented when it was new: the anticipation of fishing, the promise of the next catch, and time spent outdoors with family or friends.
From the Artist:
Early in July of 2019, Lynn and I drove over to Carmel-by-the-sea and Monterey, looking for galleries that my work might do well in. One of the galleries we stopped at hadn't even opened yet, but the work was so amazing.
Lynn went in and started talking with the owner, Thomas Cushman. He and his partner have an amazing eye for art. After talking with Thomas for about half an hour, he suggested that I send him a link to my work.
I did. An hour later, he responded saying he really liked my work, especially the lure. Also, he was going to send the link to his partner, but... he warned me that she was not really into "paper" media (I guess that's what drawings on paper are called)... anyways, it got me thinking that I'd like to draw another one of my Dad's lures.
I did. I created this 1950s Shakespeare Dopey Fishing, it's about 40" x 30". I'd love to know the name of this if anyone who fishes might know. I'm thinking it's Luxon or that vintage.
... Kim Shonk (Witherspoon) nailed it, it's a "Shakespeare Dopey" from around the 1950s. =-)
The wonderfully named Dopey lure belongs to an era when fishing equipment could have as much personality as the people using it.
Older lures often carried distinctive colors, shapes, finishes, and names that made them memorable long before anyone thought of them as collectibles.
American Material Memory asks us to look beyond that collectible value. The important question isn’t simply what the lure is worth today. It’s what it represented when it was new: the anticipation of fishing, the promise of the next catch, and time spent outdoors with family or friends.
From the Artist:
Early in July of 2019, Lynn and I drove over to Carmel-by-the-sea and Monterey, looking for galleries that my work might do well in. One of the galleries we stopped at hadn't even opened yet, but the work was so amazing.
Lynn went in and started talking with the owner, Thomas Cushman. He and his partner have an amazing eye for art. After talking with Thomas for about half an hour, he suggested that I send him a link to my work.
I did. An hour later, he responded saying he really liked my work, especially the lure. Also, he was going to send the link to his partner, but... he warned me that she was not really into "paper" media (I guess that's what drawings on paper are called)... anyways, it got me thinking that I'd like to draw another one of my Dad's lures.
I did. I created this 1950s Shakespeare Dopey Fishing, it's about 40" x 30". I'd love to know the name of this if anyone who fishes might know. I'm thinking it's Luxon or that vintage.
... Kim Shonk (Witherspoon) nailed it, it's a "Shakespeare Dopey" from around the 1950s. =-)
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