Dylan Collage

I rely heavily on found paper from a myriad of sources; old books, magazines, photographs, prints, and vintage ephemera. I start a piece with a general idea of where I want it to go, but it usually takes on its own form and I find myself headed in a direction I didn’t anticipate. As a self taught artist, I began experimenting with various materials and mediums. I quickly became intrigued by the creative accessibility of paper and it has remained a constant medium throughout my body of work. By incorporating hand cut pieces of paper mixed with paint, I create multi-layered, intricate, abstract collages, punctuated with bright colors. With each piece, the first layers are more erratic and free-form but I eventually find a sense of harmony and balance through the chaos. Deconstruction is a consistent theme in my work, as well as an integral part of my creative process. I see beauty in the imperfections and the wear and tear. To me, deconstruction creates a transcendence of time and a revitalization of the past. My experimental approach to art releases it from a lot of seriousness and has allowed me to constantly grow and evolve as an artist. I gather creative inspiration from graffiti and street art, urban and natural landscapes, and geometric shapes that mimic architecture. I am drawn to the abstract elements of art; color, shape, line, and texture. I create out of my curiosity to see what something might look like when I can find the means to translate my vision to the substrate.