Margaret Kilgallen was a very talented pop artist. Kilgallen’s work drew elements from folk art, tramp art, and mural paintings. Her work is known throughout the art world because of the size and the images contained within her pieces. Kilgallen had a love of “things that show the evidence of the human hand.” Her drawings showed herself in them, the evidence of a fine artist.
Kilgallen’s work does derive from elements of folk art, tramp art, and mural paintings, but it also has a sense of cartoon-like innocence and slight, ironic tang, making it great pop art. Her subjects include hobos, alcoholics, carnies, and surfer woman. Kilgallen herself was an avid wave rider and an accomplished banjo player. Her drawings were all portrayed in muted colors, but still have life of their own. Their stories and figures draw you into look at them, read what the images say, and get your own story from the works. The words and fonts that are used in her works were learned when she worked at the San Francisco Public Library. They library allowed her to study type fonts and styles, and words and letters. These are prominent fixtures in all of her art pieces.
Kilgallen painted directly on the wall, creating room-size murals that would captivate everyone’s attention. These wall size murals recall a time when personal craft and handmade signs were the dominant aesthetic in society. This was an important theme to Kilgallen, using your hands to create everything. As well as being an avid painter, she was also skilled in printmaking and the letterpress, which makes sense because she loved to work with her hands. In Kilgallen’s short life, she showed us the importance of textiles in her works and the importance of using your own hand to create beautiful pieces of art. Nothing beats being homemade.
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