San Francisco - December 14, 2007

Along Came Molly

8mm Ideas Cards by Molly Meng

When it comes to history, there are images you’ll always cherish (Grandma in the kitchen) and some you won’t (Grandma without her wig).

Good or bad, you can’t change the past. Unless you’re Molly Meng of 8mm Ideas. The SF-based artist describes her note cards as little works of historical fiction. She makes them from boxes of ephemera found at estate sales, flea markets, and curio shops.

Yellowed entries ripped from old dictionaries meet candy-hued illustrations from long-forgotten books. Retro soda labels float atop patterned backgrounds. Typewritten poems and musings from Meng’s brain give meaning to the faces in many of the faded photos.

Each card’s exterior tells a story, but the insides are a blank invitation to rekindle your flame with the long, lost art of letter writing.

And that’s just timeless.

Available at Candystore, 3153 16th Street, between Guerrero and Valencia Streets (415-863-8143 or candystorecollective.com). To see cards, go to 8mmideas.com.