by Rosalie Kicks!, Old Sport

I have no idea how or when in the heck I stumbled upon @VHS Girl (aka Katie Winchester) on Instagram. The internet is truly a wild place, that at times can lead to interesting characters, which can be quite wonderful. I suppose it does not really matter how I found her, the important thing is that I did. The moment I started following her, I was completely enamored with her VHS-inspired artwork. As I scrolled down the page, each new photo that flashed before my eyes became my new favorite.

Hailing from Carbondale, Illinois, Katie is a self-proclaimed tapehead* (definition*: someone who is very fond of Video Home System (VHS) cassette tapes). With her Instagram bio stating, “No VCR? Bye,” it is clear to see her passion for tapes runs deep. She isn’t just a collector though. In her garage, equipped with a television and VCR to provide inspiration, she toils away by re-imagining/re-creating some of her favorite VHS covers as handmade paintings. Each painting is created on a block of wood (cut by her and her father) measuring the size of an actual VHS cover.

Along with the VHS cover paintings, VHS Girl also creates prints of some of her favorite film people such as: Crispin Glover, Joe Dante, Roger Ebert, Miranda July, David Lynch, John Waters and more.

I may not know VHS Girl personally however, judging by her pictures on the gram, she seems like one rad lady. The type of person you could go on a thrift run with, then afterwards, grab a slice and a beer. It makes me pine for a long-term dream of mine…to have all my friends live on the same block. We could have VHS swaps, spy on the neighborhood like Cory Feldman in The Burbs and order pizza like The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. What a groovy life that be. For now, I’m happy with knowing VHS Girl virtually but hope one day to meet. I don’t think she would mind that I am a film creature and wear an usher’s hat on the regular. I already know we have at least two things in common: we both love Crispin Glover and have a keenness for VHS tapes of all genres. I believe she likes coffee too…I picked up on this after I got word of her Twin Peaks bash.

So hey kids, listen, the next time you need some art for you home, before heading to some box store to buy another James Dean mass produced print, consider supporting a real life human being/tapehead named VHS Girl. You can find her stuff on Etsy (etsy.com/shop/VHSGIRLShop) or send her a direct message on Instagram (@vhsgirl), tell her Old Sport sent ya.