Reworking history

Kentucky-based Ray Papka and wife Gretchen Papka are recent additions to Nevada City’s Mowen Solinsky Gallery. Both husband and wife use vintage and antique objects in their assemblage works. Despite their similarities, there are differences—the missus’ pieces tend to have slightly more negative space; whereas the mister loads his with information and objects, such as old piano hammers, report cards, letterpress letters, books, cogs and other bits of machinery. In their own ways, they both rework discarded items from history into something appealing and new.