The more, the merrier
Artist views cultural growth
through collaborative lens
BY KATHERINE LACAZE
A vast collection of hand-cut paper veg-
etables recently found a home in Imogen
Gallery in Astoria.
The vegetables, crafted by local art-
ist Kathy Karbo, allude to the days of Vic-
torian gardens and the idea of communi-
ties coming together to support each other
during challenging times.
Individually, each vegetable is beauti-
ful — but the art’s collective power is in its
multiplicity of single pieces. The collectiv-
ity gives weight and impact to the artwork
as a whole.
The collection is indicative of the way
Karbo, who splits her time between Port-
land and Gearhart, approaches her craft.
Whether she’s weaving baskets, making
paper cutouts or laying mosaics, she likes
to create multiples, using the quantity to
directly influence the eye-catching quality
of the exhibit.
“Everything I do is very simple,” she
said. “You just layer it. You get a lot
of them. They become important and
significant.”
This tendency gives insight into how
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TOP: Artist Kathy Karbo loves dabbling in a variety of arts and crafts, including puppetry. LEFT: A December show at Imogen Gallery in Astoria included a collection of paper-cut vegetables
made by Karbo. RIGHT: A close-up of pomegranate-themed paper art Karbo created in 2020.
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