All rights reserved: @Mariejon de Jong-Buijs, 2024

​ ​​​Mariejon de Jong-Buijs

Finesville New Jersey, USA 2022. Making of Musconetcong series

MUSCONETCONG

Acrylic and various natural material on cotton (series of five)
150 x 30 cm. - 150 x 50 cm. - 150 x 70 cm. - 150 x 90 cm. - 150 x 110 cm.
2022-2023

​

Installation view: space25 Basel, Switzerland 2022

​​Why are barns often painted red? Red is (or, perhaps, was) a popular color for older barns due not to its color shade but for its usefulness.​ The practice started in the late 18th century with New England farmers applying a protective varnish to barn surfaces. The varnish usually contained some mixture of linseed oil, lime, or iron oxide, which, under the sun, would then turn to the red ochre hue. Choices for paints, sealers and other building materials did not exist. Farmers had to be resourceful in finding or making a paint that would protect and seal the wood on their barns. Eventually, as red paint became available, many people stuck to the color tradition. 

​Source: A Closer Look: Why Barns Are Red, May 9, 2018 by Lara Szypszak | Why Are Barns Painted Red? By Farmers' Almanac Staff Updated: October 1, 2021