Memorabilia with "An Added Dimension" - Artist Chris Osborne

Nov/Dec 2018 edition
Issue #2 AutoMobilia Resource Magazine
​Peter Bourassa

The perfect photograph or print, the painting that captures a moment, or a sculpture that evokes a memory, is from its inception both Art and Memorabilia. Most of us, even those among us who own but one such book, image, or piece...are Incidental Collectors. We are enthusiasts first, collectors second.  

As defined in a previous article, the preferred purpose of collectibles is that they evoke a cherished memory, incident or concept. While memorabilia in all forms are equally capable of evoking these responses, visual art, in the form of images or paintings that can be permanently displayed are most commonly favored.

“I studied his (Jimi Hendrix) song lyrics and I was drawn to some visual items that could be woven into art, such as a line from Voodoo Chile: ‘...set me on an eagle’s wing’ and a line in Little Wing: ‘...butterflies and zebras’.” Chris Osborne

In this issue we introduce you to The Mistress of the Added Dimension. Connecticut artist Chris Osborne has been invited to display her paintings of cars and stars at automotive events of all types across the country.

While Chris paints landscapes and commissions for private collections, she is best known to us for marrying well known film and music stars of the past with their favorite automobiles of the day. It is an ongoing project which has earned her an Artist Fellowship Grant from the Connecticut Office of the Arts. 

Her knowledge of film and music and her passion for celebrities with a known association with particular automobiles, Paul Newman and his winning Datsun, Steve McQueen and the ’68 “Bullitt” Mustang, James Dean and his 1955 Porsche Spyder all evoke fond memories for those among us who savor another, some might say, better time. Equally popular music celebrities such as Elvis, Louis Armstrong, Janis Joplin and movie stars such as Clark Gable and his stunning Duesenberg are also honored in her work.  
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Chris Osborne’s paintings appeal to the incidental collector because they look fondly  back and evoke warm memories. In the end, whatever the piece of automobilia, it’s true worth is measured only by what it means to its owner. To see and learn more about her work, please visit her web site:   Chrisoart.com

Peter Bourassa

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Chris Osborne holding her newly awarded Ralph Fabri Medal. She received this well-deserved medal from the National Society of Painters (NSPCA) in Casein & Acrylic for her Janis Joplin Porsche painting.