About the artist
I create fantasy, hand-cut collages which usually come in the form of otherworldly landscapes and environments. I’m inspired by science fiction, Hieronymus Bosch, nature, dreams and different states of consciousness, where the rules of reality do not apply. I use found photographic imagery from old books and magazines and turn them into something new and fresh. In some ways I see myself as an image recycler.
I usually start with a theme or a vision in mind. Then, I pull together a pile of potential imagery. I have my own personal library of material, some of which is filed into folders so it is easier to find. For example, ‘body parts’ or ‘plants and trees’. I then loosely start to cut things out and start playing around with compositions and how objects relate to each other, sometimes changing the scale of things to give them a different meaning. A colour scheme and mood will start to form. The rest is quite an intuitive process and comes together in an organic way.
I did a drawing degree at Camberwell Collage of Arts. There were times when I would feel creatively blocked and overwhelmed at facing a blank page. At art school, I felt there was too much focus on the concept and analysis which I believe can sometimes stop the natural creative flow. With collage I never feel that way. Once I start to place things on the page I can immediately see something and start to visualise. For me collage brought the joy back to being an image maker. I have fun with it without over thinking. When I’m working on a piece I feel the same as when I was 5 years old building an intricate Lego city.
www.seanagavin.com