“There will be no Cargo calendar for 2021.” “After the year the world had in 2020, no one is interested in marking time.” “Calendars seem meaningless now.” You may have overheard these words from the Cargo crew in the past months. But customers seemed to disagree. They kept asking for the 2021 Cargo calendar. And kept asking for it. And kept asking. Everyday calling, writing, begging, contacting members of the Senate, alerting the United Nations. ALRIGHT ALREADY! WE WILL MAKE A CALENDAR! But, what shall we do??????? Hmmmm. Well, we have this charming little ox collage that Aimee is working on ……. And so the 2021 calendar was born!

The Collaboration and the Process

The calendar is always a collaboration. I had initially collaged the ox for Cargo’s use on Lunar New Year decorations. As it became clear we couldn’t ignore the demand for a 2021 calendar, Patty and Bridgid suggested the ox would make a good starting point for the project. Since I was already working in the medium of collage I just kept going with that motif. Bridgid drew out a design that included an arch that framed the ox. I use hand drawn grids in my artwork, and Bridgid wanted that look for the calendar months, and also point out they look like patchwork. Sarah, a veteran Cargo calendar designer, came up with the idea of replacing the calendar numbers with the moon phases and coached me on other parts of the design. 

The Ox

I wanted the collage of the ox to be made of ephemera that reflected the celebration of Lunar New Year and incorporated auspicious symbols associated with the holiday. Some of the ephemera had been in my possession for quite some time, for instance the image of the mandarin oranges, a symbol of abundance and happiness and a common Lunar New Year gift. It may seem crazy but I had been saving the label from a mandarin orange can for the last twenty years because I loved the design and colors so much. 

Next came a wrapper from a Hanafuda game (Japanese cards) we sold at the old Cargo in the Pearl district. It was covered in the holiday’s requisite cherry blossoms (symbol of hope and perseverance) and included the Chinese character for spring - Lunar New Year is also called the Spring Festival!

The koi fish (symbol of wealth and strength), butterfly (love), and red cherry blossom are actually plastic decals picked up years ago on a trip to Zhejiang province, China, with Patty and Bridgid. Just so you know, I have an obsession with decals. The black and white incense photo is from a 1958 German photography magazine. I hated to cut into the page because I loved the photo so much. The photo is titled “Under the Pagodas” taken by Nham Ha-Phi and was shown in the 1957 International Photo Exhibition held in the Munich Museum. 

When to Stop

Collaging for a Cargo project is a dream job for a maximalist like myself. I could have kept cutting and gluing, but at some point I knew I had to stop. I mean, the calendar is supposed to be somewhat useable and practical, right? A person needs to be able to read it. I couldn’t just layer up images into oblivion, now could I? This was a project that called for discipline! Knowing when to stop is not easy for me, but I believe I found a pretty good stopping place. 

In the calendar I hope you see the joyful nature and crazy abundance Cargo is known for. I hope it is a talisman for luck for those who possess it. I hope you enjoy the Year of the Ox Calendar as much as I enjoyed making it! 

About Aimee Miller

Essentially a self taught artist, Aimee has been creating collage, assemblage and large scale installations in her native city of Portland, Oregon for the last 35 years. Nicknamed Animal by her coworkers, she has been a member of the Cargo crew for over 20 years.  

Find her work on Instagram @a.elliottmiller