Cut paper collage,12 x 18 in.
Mighty Joe Castro creates collages with striking compositions, blending nostalgic photographic fragments to create new narratives. His work dives into the history of culture, often imbued with mystery and moodiness. As a seasoned veteran in the world of contemporary collage, Castro consistently produces powerful and compelling artworks.
Cut paper collage, 17 x 23.5 in.
Generally, my work starts with hot coffee and old magazines, just casually flipping, searching for pieces of images that catch my eye and then seeing what fits together. I work on the floor, on a large background paper that I can cut down afterwards. I don’t like being limited by borders. At the beginning, I’m not paying conscious attention to any deep meaning or purpose. As work continues, usually about half way, I’ll get an idea of what the piece is trying to tell me and I’ll follow that strand to completion as best I can. Everything is hand cut with an exacto and then dry adhered with gel medium and a tack iron (the Jonathan Talbot method).
Cut paper collage, 11 x 15 in.
I like the bigger publications: Life; W; Interview. But I dip into the Nat Geos like everyone else. I really dig mid-century Americana. I love looking at all the vintage ads for appliances. They really knew how to design a proper toaster back then.
Cut paper collage, 11 x 14 in.
Cut paper collage, 12 x 22 in.
Early on, I remember seeing some collages by Dash Snow, in a skateboard zine, that really blew me away. Around that same time I saw the Ray Johnson documentary that came out in the early 2000s - those two things got me sparked on collage as a medium. And I always find John Whitlock's collage work inspiring. His stuff is amazing.
Cut paper collage,16 x 21 in.
Cut paper collage, 13 x 19.5 in.
Mighty Joe Castro is an accomplished Philadelphia based collage artist, musician and designer. His artwork has been shown in galleries and art spaces across the United States, Canada, and Europe. When not working on new paintings and collages, he runs his own graphic design business where he has created gig posters for bands such as The Districts, She & Him, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Echo and the Bunnymen, Death Cab for Cutie and Pavement.
For Your Viewing Pleasure
ANTHONY GOICOLEA, born in 1971 in Atlanta, Georgia, is a first-generation Cuban American artist based in Brooklyn, New York. His family fled Cuba in 1961, and this history profoundly influences his work. Goicolea's diverse oeuvre, which includes digitally manipulated self-portraits, landscapes, and narrative tableaux, delves into themes of personal history, identity, and cultural heritage. His powerful, often unsettling staged photographic and video works have garnered international acclaim, highlighting themes of alienation and displacement.
KEN GRAVES' collages reveal the wit and precision of his mind and hands. Rearranging found photographs from early to mid-twentieth century American magazines and inserting a range of materials, Graves creates surreal images that open a world of interpretive narratives. With humor and a very sharp knife, these collages dissect American pop culture and idealism through fantasies that reposition familiar imagery into absurd compositions.
JONAH SAMSON is a self-taught artist who has exhibited nationally and internationally. He presented his first solo exhibition with Macaulay & Co. Fine art in 2015 and his exhibition Another Happy Day (2013) at Presentation House was listed as one of the top 10 shows that season by Canadian Art magazine.
JUDY CHARTRAND is a contemporary artist of Manitoba Cree heritage currently based in Vancouver. Chartrand grew up in the notoriously disadvantaged urban corridor of Vancouver’s Downtown East Side. From a young age, Chartrand held an interest in ceramics and painting. Her work contains rich elements of ready-made appropriations and repurposed materials.
JOHN O'REILLY creates intimate and beautiful photographic montages using a Polaroid camera, capturing scenes from his studio, body, and surroundings. He combines these images with rephotographed materials from various sources, cutting and pasting them into collages where figures and objects morph amid fragmented backgrounds. In his work, history and fantasy intertwine, creating a dream-like fusion of past, present, and future.
Out and About
What to watch, read, and experience, as curated by the Collé team.
▼ VISIT
Sharp Cuts: Queer Collage
CLAMP is pleased to present a group exhibition including work by sixteen artists. Encompassing a range of methodologies the exhibition demonstrates the varied and expansive potentials of collage as a form of queer expression. July 18—August 29, NYC
▼ READ
Art Class
Sign up for Art Class to discover a new work of art every day. From the halls of the Louvre to private collections, they curate the best of art history and deliver it straight to your inbox for your private viewing.
▼ LISTEN
Elderbrook – Little Love
Alexander Kotz, known professionally as Elderbrook, is an English electronic musician, singer, songwriter, record producer and DJ. His career began in 2015 when he released his first EP containing the song How Many Times.
