2021 Collage Work
These pieces were made after a long art hiatus. Partially fueled by isolation from the pandemic and a longing to get back to the fun of making things, they are comprised of pattern paper from the 1960s, tissue paper, my own photos, and magazine photos.
Front Facing, 12" x 12" mixed media collage, 2021
This collage includes a quiet photograph of my friend Billy, taken in North Carolina around 1986. Included in this image are portions of ionic columns, representing his love of architecture, and some semblance of a ledge. Billy is posed up against a wall, but there's a door, and light breaking in and spilling across him.
Swinging Guy, 12" x 12" mixed media collage, 2021
The figure appears courtesy of some scanned negatives shot during a visit to The Other Side magazine publishing offices at 300 W. Apsley Street in Philadelphia, where a young staff member was being goofy and swinging on the fire escape. This is the first time I realized I could bypass the process of actually developing photos... I could just scan the old 35mm black and white negatives into photoshop and print them on my laserjet.
Printmaker, 12" x 12" mixed media collage, 2021
This is another one made from old 35mm negatives. The photos are of my friend Kellee at the LSU print shop in Baton Rouge. This image uses layers and layers of paper. There was always something special about peeling the print off the plate... always being surprised at what appeared. The repetition in every bit of the process from burnishing, scraping, and inking the plate to cranking the handle of the press provided lots of thoughtful time.
Self-Portrait as Publisher, 12" x 12" mixed media collage, 2021
Despite the look on my face in this picture, this was one of the coolest jobs I ever had. We've come a long way from the days of waxed layouts and paste-up pages. This photo was taken of me around 1983 when I was working on the award-winning art and literary magazine of East Carolina University, The Rebel. I think I learned a lot about working under pressure in those days, and established a strong desire for professionalism.
Stepping Up, 12" x 12" mixed media collage, 2021
This is another one dealing with the feeling of floating, teetering on the edge, stepping over the ledge, and finding the right balance. (Maybe that was all of 2021!) Posed and staged, aware of images of themselves that are larger than life, and still ready to kick butt. The figures are from a liquor ad in the 1970s.