The pieces in this body of work are collages comprised entirely of old comic book imagery. Most of the books were from my childhood and likewise the pieces in this body of work have a definite sense of nostalgia. I am drawn into the youthful optimism the comic book imagery holds. This idea of the future we were promised. A future that never came.
I relate the collage pieces to my work as a printmaker in a lot of ways. Through the layering, the texture building and the meticulous cutting and placing, the act of making feels a lot like making a print. In its own way, it is a form of print “making.” I am making a new piece of original work out of an edition, working backwards from what my printmaker self is trained and familiar with.
It is not as important to me at the moment to make my own, unique marks, but rather use a visu- al catalog that already exists to create a new piece. An author, or poet rarely creates a new word, but can still tell an entirely original story with the words available in their language. I am looking at collage in a similar way. Using the images that are already at my disposal to tell a new, but familiar story.