Reliquary-Meme

 About:

“Reliquary- Meme” is a series of folk art paintings by local Los Angeles artist, Josh Hash.

This collection of postcard art upcycles vintage letters sent from LA throughout the 20th century. The encapsulated postcard souvenirs are transformed into 3D artworks that render quotations pulled directly from the colloquial messages written on the back of each piece.

With messages ranging from funny to melancholy, this body of work presents feelings of nostalgia by enshrining the forgotten memories of others. Similar to Catholic traditions around crafting reliquaries for saints, these artworks preserve the legacy of ordinary people in Southern California.

While accessible and compact, these postcard relics offer a fresh take on traditional landscape painting, text art, and folklore throughout time. 

Artist Statement:

“Although historically reserved for nobility and clergymen, I have always found the idea of reliquaries as these ornate shrines for remembering one’s life endearing. Especially since many of these once austere postmortem trinkets, in hindsight, look somewhat kitsch. That playfulness and creativity around something morbid has been a source of inspiration for me.

I like the idea of turning found vintage postcards associated with people's trips, outings, & loved ones into reliquary-esque objects that commemorate the memories of strangers. I like that, for me, these objects help combat feelings of isolation or loneliness by bringing colloquial expressions into any environment. As a series that started during the isolation of quarantine, the feeling of connection, however distant, felt quite poignant.

The postcard paintings become like time capsules that preserve forgotten landmarks and sentiments of people in a moment of diaspora. With letters dating back over one hundred years, this collection of folk art paintings depicts a rendition of Los Angeles that’s both abstract and intimate.”

– Josh Hash

Artwork Themes: