Shiny Happy People Laughing
Is this song happy or unnerving? When you see schoolchildren walking quietly in a single file line, does it make you feel calm or unsettled? Is it better to be part of the in-crowd, or to forge your own path? I don’t know the answer to any of these questions, and neither does this painting.
Shiny Happy People Laughing (R.E.M. x Berenstain Bears) is a 20 x 20-inch mixed media canvas. It is finished with UV archival varnish and sold in a 2-inch deep, white float frame.
We make every attempt to represent colors as accurately as possible, but be aware that differences among screens and paint pigments may result in variations. Please read our Shipping and Return Policy before purchasing.
Is this song happy or unnerving? When you see schoolchildren walking quietly in a single file line, does it make you feel calm or unsettled? Is it better to be part of the in-crowd, or to forge your own path? I don’t know the answer to any of these questions, and neither does this painting.
Shiny Happy People Laughing (R.E.M. x Berenstain Bears) is a 20 x 20-inch mixed media canvas. It is finished with UV archival varnish and sold in a 2-inch deep, white float frame.
We make every attempt to represent colors as accurately as possible, but be aware that differences among screens and paint pigments may result in variations. Please read our Shipping and Return Policy before purchasing.
Is this song happy or unnerving? When you see schoolchildren walking quietly in a single file line, does it make you feel calm or unsettled? Is it better to be part of the in-crowd, or to forge your own path? I don’t know the answer to any of these questions, and neither does this painting.
Shiny Happy People Laughing (R.E.M. x Berenstain Bears) is a 20 x 20-inch mixed media canvas. It is finished with UV archival varnish and sold in a 2-inch deep, white float frame.
We make every attempt to represent colors as accurately as possible, but be aware that differences among screens and paint pigments may result in variations. Please read our Shipping and Return Policy before purchasing.
Shiny Happy People Laughing is inspired by the song Shiny Happy People by R.E.M.
Artist Statement for Bear Country: Same as it Ever Was
What artifacts were a lynchpin of your identity formation? Elle has worked with vintage texts for several years; upon recognizing that their childhood in the 1990s was now under the category heading “vintage,” they began pouring over their childhood and adolescent treasures in search of the pop culture influences that formed their expectations for relationships and gender roles. Bear Country pairs illustrations from the children’s book series The Berenstain Bears, with lyrics from an “iconic” playlist Elle curated from their friends in the Gen X / Millennial cohort. After years steeped in so-called identity politics, one has to ask: how much of our identity did we choose? When Elle moved back to their hometown after a prolonged absence, they used this series of work to excavate and name the pieces of vintage pop culture that had silently buttressed their identity. With illustrations from vintage Berenstain Bears books collaged between bubblegum-infused layers of paint and the scrawled lyrics of the songs from Elle’s friends, each painting asks the viewer to consider where – and when – their ideas for contemporary adulthood originated.
