If you read "Nancy Drew" or "Trixie Belden" or any of the books or series defined as Young Adult, you probably felt, on occasion, that you'd place a different moment or character or scene on the cover.
We've all felt that about a book's outer face or an illustration; the heroine doesn't quite have the curls or vavavoom or can-do spirit that we imagine her to have. But, alas. Once a book is published, well, that is, as they say, that.
Gallery 1988 and Hello Giggles disagree. That isn't always that, if the books we grew up with taught us anything, and the book friends of our youth can certainly be visually reimagined. A bevy of artists have set out to do just that in the Melrose gallery's new show Young Adult. The charming and cheerful upshot? The characters and stories we read about when we were teens gain fresh life, and a few natty new looks, in this lickety-split and highly tangy exhibit.
What do we mean by lickety-split? Call it novella-length: Young Adult is on at the gallery from Saturday, Feb. 2 through Saturday, Feb. 23.
What do we mean by highly tangy? You won't see book covers reproduced, squiggle-for-squiggle, on Gallery 1988's walls. The artist Misha imagines Nancy Drew as she might appear on a mud flap. Audrey Pongracz gives "Goosebumps" an elegant and eerie spin, complete with mischievous skulls peeking out of a wide-eyed damsel's upblown hair. And, yep, Harriet the Spy is there, too, looking as suspicious and smart as we all know Harriet is. Thank you, artist Lauren Gregg.
Opening reception is Feb. 2. We only have one question: Will you dress as Anne Shirley (of "Anne of Green Gables," natch) or your favorite "Sweet Valley High" twin for the big event? Of course you will. Consider that you're an adult now and can do what you like. And if that includes returning to the heroines you loved as a youth, sartorially, well then. Pull on those knee socks, pigtail that hair, and own it.
image by Misha
