Jennifer Linton

The term ‘yard shadow’ is a colloquialism describing a type of woodworking craft in which shapes are cutout of plywood and then painted black to create silhouettes. These wooden silhouettes are used as yard decoration, and are either staked directly into the ground or mounted vertically on a wall to create the illusion of a mysterious visitor. Wild animals are the most popularly represented subject matter, although silhouettes can include people and even machinery. The ‘yard shadow’ is the folk art version of the delicate paper silhouette, and therefore can have a surprisingly sophisticated look, even as it is homespun and somewhat clunky. The three silhouetted raccoons belonging to my sculpture entitled Lawn Shadows appear to be standing together -- as they are literally standing upright on their haunches -- in a silent, mysterious group. Are they plotting something? Devising a plan to dig into your garbage cans -- or something more sinister? Or are they frozen on the spot by your sudden approach? The blankness of the black silhouette make these wooden cutouts ambiguous, forcing us to apply a narrative. Jennifer Linton-2012 main page