Featured Artist GA Gardner

Artsy Shark presents the portfolio of mixed-media collage artist GA Gardner. Find out more about this artist and his work by visiting his website.

I have always been fascinated by what goes on in the mind of an individual or what is truly behind a facial expression or mood. I am attracted by subjects that tell stories. I am intrigued by contrasting images and other forms of dichotomy. I use collage as my primary medium to interpret faces and scenes.

 

 

When working with faces, I do not approach them as a portrait artist. I am not as interested in the details or likeness of anyone, but in grouping images in various themes to create a face that is the sum of its parts, its ideas or beliefs. In building these faces I allow the background to help define the subject. I add paper and manipulate lighting to create three-dimensionality.

 

My process for creating scenes involves putting together images from a variety of sources like a jigsaw puzzle made of divergent boxes. I often incorporate elements such as textstraction, abstract backgrounds and reclaimed found objects including paper, wood and metal to form a foundation for each mixed media environment.

 

 

 

What are your goals?

My goal is to create art relating to identity, cultural representation and the integration of various cultures into the fabric of a dominant culture. The submitted body of work presents images that depict cultural unity and the cultural make up of individuals and groups.  I want to challenge people to see things in a different way, to stimulate them, drawing them into a topic that I am discussing visually.  My objective is to generate new and unique images from recycled, old and found materials, telling the stories of a group through the faces of individuals. I am interested in creating faces that expose a broader cultural picture.

 

 

What are you working on now?

Currently I continue to experiment with paper and other materials, working on the treatment of paper to create unique qualities that will enhance both my representational and abstract collages.  Additionally, I like drawing and painting so I am always looking for ways to integrate these mediums into my collages thereby creating mixed media art that goes beyond photo montages.  I try to integrate painting, collage and drawings seamlessly to truly capture the essence of the face and the culture it represents.

 

 

What inspires you?

I am inspired by many things. I am inspired by people, culture, issues, even by  the rich colors contained in the magazine images incorporated in my collages.  Regardless of the source, I love working with color, whether cut from a magazine page or mixed from different combinations of paint.  I truly enjoy learning from nature’s color palette, from the ocean, to trees, to the varying hues in fruit.  For me, inspiration comes as well from human figures and a diverse array of faces from varied cultural backgrounds.