6x24
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 quack. Quack doctors originated in medieval times, when anyone could stand in the town square and hawk any miracle cure they have concocted. They would call out to passerbys with a loud, duck-like cry leading to their nickname. Many hucksters have proliferated over the years with a notable example being John R. Brinkley, who in the early 1900s gained popularity by using goat testiicle implants to purportedly cure anything from impotence to spinal cord tumors. Yes, hundreds of people actually elected to have this done. Brinkley and other quack doctors are typically discredited over time by established medical organizations such as the American Medical Association and the Red Cross.

The Quack was created with acrylic paint. 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.