Post-it Note Artist John Kenn Mortensen Discusses BMAC Exhibit

Danish artist John Kenn Mortensen is known worldwide for his meticulously detailed drawings of creepy creatures made on common yellow Post-it Notes. A dozen of Mortensen's tiny yet time-consuming creations are currently on view at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) in "Dream Homes," the artist's first solo museum exhibition in the United States. They appear alongside six larger drawings by Mortensen, each one overflowing with monsters and humans cavorting in, on, and around a variety of dwellings, such as castles, churches, mansions, and birdhouses—the "dream homes" of the exhibition's title.Mortensen and BMAC Director Danny Lichtenfeld, who curated the exhibition, will discuss the artist's work in an online conversation on Thursday, April 24, at 7 p.m. Admission to the talk is free, but advance registration is required. To register, visit brattleboromuseum.org or call 802-257-0124 x101.Mortensen began creating his oversized, shaggy, more-cuddly-than-scary monsters in response to what he says was "a boring corporate desk job." "I would complete a task and then wait and wait for feedback from management," Mortensen said. "Doodling was a great way to pass the time. My drawing style takes forever, but it's also a place for me to be meditative and to de-stress." A collection of his signature creations, titled "Sticky Monsters," was published in 2011 and became an international bestseller. Since then, Mortensen has released two more collections of "Sticky Monsters," illustrated the Danish editions of Neil Gaiman's "Hansel & Gretel" and Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "The Witches," and produced concept art for DreamWorks. Visitors to Mortensen's BMAC exhibition are invited to take inspiration from the artist's work and add their own drawings on Post-it Notes to one of the gallery walls. According to Lichtenfeld, through the first week and a half that the exhibition was on view, the museum received several hundred Mortensen-inspired drawings. "It's a real treat to share John's wonderful work with our audience," said Lichtenfeld. "Each sticky note is like a tiny window onto a far-off dream world—and who doesn't want to escape to a dream world these days?" Founded in 1972, BMAC presents rotating exhibitions of contemporary art, complemented by lectures, artist talks, film screenings, and other public programs. BMAC is open Wednesday-Sunday, 10-4. Admission is "pay as you wish." Located in historic Union Station in downtown Brattleboro, at the intersection of Main Street and Routes 119 and 142, the museum is wheelchair accessible. For more information and accessibility requests, visit brattleboromuseum.org, call 802-257-0124 x101, or email office@brattleboromuseum.org. BMAC is supported in part by the Vermont Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support is provided by the Brattleboro Food Co-op, Brattleboro Savings & Loan, C&S Wholesale Grocers, and Sam's Outdoor Outfitters.