6x24 inches
acrylic, watercolor paper, kraft paper on stained maple panel
$525

The Jobs of Yesteryear series combines history and surrealism to tell the stories of obsolete jobs. A contemporary glimpse into the past, these mixed media paintings serve as a reminder of a time and stories long forgotten.

This particular Job of Yesteryear mixed media painting features a boxer. The sport of boxing owes its origins to the hand-to-hand combat of Ancient Sumeria and Egypt. Boxing was also one of the first Olympic sports and was featured as early as 688 BCE. The brutal, bare-knuckle era of boxing emerged in England in the 1700s. This bloodsport was modernized in 1867 when the Marquess of Queensbury Rules mandated that the fighters use gloves and also implemented a 10-second count for knockdowns. Before this rule, fighters had to rise on their own accord but were given no time limit. The opposing boxer could also pummel them as they attempted to get up. Brutal.

The Boxer was created with acrylic paint, and the long-limbed character was cut from paper and collaged with kraft paper. The Jobs of Yesteryear are thought-provoking conversation pieces that will bring an air of history and whimsy to any room.