Michelle’s story is a “rags to riches” tale. Born Delia von Wannemaker, an only child in 1918’s Hamburger, Germany, she was no stranger to hardship. Germany was in the dark grips of economic depression, and in 1922, loose fiscal policies and quantitative easing led to massive currency devaluations. Michelle would later reflect on these days with mixed feelings, as it was the time when food and clothing were hard to come by, but she always had plenty of cash on hand for paper mache projects. Delia’s childhood interest in arts and crafts helped gain her notoriety in a country deeply in need of a positive icon and she was selected as a top national representative sent to the 1929 World’s Fair in Seville, Spain. There she exhibited the most ambitious attempt ever in the history of the World’s fair, still holding the record for the largest collection of Paper Mache Animals. She is still regarded to this day as a rule breaker, in allowing the exhibit to be interactive, staged as a petting zoo.
Seeing the direction of the country, her parents saw the opportunity to defect and remained in Spain as political refugees, speaking openly against the German Chancellor’s anti-paper mache policies and glue rationing. Spain was a wonderful place for 17 year old Delia, it was here that she learned the dances of the culture, which would later greatly impact her artistic style, and add the great sense of motion to her pieces (See Smithsonian). But the joys could not last forever, and after only 8 short years, with Europe on the brink of war, Delia used what moneys should could muster from the sale of her treasured Paper Mache Petting Zoo, and chartered a mid-sized shipping barge to take herself, her remaining pieces, and her parents to Canada.
The journey was exceptionally long, and in fact took 16 years. Luckily, many of her experimental pieces had been edible. Once ashore, Delia found herself a celebrity, having gained fame for her resistance to war, and her sudden disappearance, and found it necessary to assume a new identity. Donning the name, Mustang Sally, she quickly learned that she needed to quite the practice of art all together, or she would be identified regardless of pseudonym.
Mustang then fled Quebec under cover of darkness to avoid the throngs of crazed paparazzi, and hitching a ride with a western going Amish family, “Michelle” finally found herself. It was the simple pleasures of butter churning, and canning fruits and vegetables that really excited her as they traveled the byroads and back ways of the US highway system.
Eventually, she made her way to Phoenix, where after a series of terrible real estate investments, Michelle was obliged to re-enter the workforce.
Seeing the direction of the country, her parents saw the opportunity to defect and remained in Spain as political refugees, speaking openly against the German Chancellor’s anti-paper mache policies and glue rationing. Spain was a wonderful place for 17 year old Delia, it was here that she learned the dances of the culture, which would later greatly impact her artistic style, and add the great sense of motion to her pieces (See Smithsonian). But the joys could not last forever, and after only 8 short years, with Europe on the brink of war, Delia used what moneys should could muster from the sale of her treasured Paper Mache Petting Zoo, and chartered a mid-sized shipping barge to take herself, her remaining pieces, and her parents to Canada.
The journey was exceptionally long, and in fact took 16 years. Luckily, many of her experimental pieces had been edible. Once ashore, Delia found herself a celebrity, having gained fame for her resistance to war, and her sudden disappearance, and found it necessary to assume a new identity. Donning the name, Mustang Sally, she quickly learned that she needed to quite the practice of art all together, or she would be identified regardless of pseudonym.
Mustang then fled Quebec under cover of darkness to avoid the throngs of crazed paparazzi, and hitching a ride with a western going Amish family, “Michelle” finally found herself. It was the simple pleasures of butter churning, and canning fruits and vegetables that really excited her as they traveled the byroads and back ways of the US highway system.
Eventually, she made her way to Phoenix, where after a series of terrible real estate investments, Michelle was obliged to re-enter the workforce.
No comments:
Post a Comment