Found paper on paper, 13 x 19 in.
Stephen Tomasko's keen photographic eye influences his collage work, showcasing mastery of composition through balance, layering, and unconventional cropping. His work blends nature, fashion, and history, crafting compelling narratives that evoke a timeless beauty. Through these works, Tomasko captures the essence of human experience, inviting reflection on the interplay of different times and themes.
Found paper on paper, 13 x 19 in.
I let my teetering pile of collected source material, a great mix of the high and low, in some mysterious way, lead the work each day. It is terrifying because the process of this inspiration through interaction seems so undefined and ephemeral that it feels like it could easily slip away and be gone for good. Some days, the magic is not there, and it is best to walk away or simply finish gluing what I already have laid out.
Found paper on paper, 13 x 19 in.
Crank up the music, and make the work. Do not overthink. Try not to think. Be open to being amazed. Allow encounters with and between the materials to lead the way. As a child, I had a game called ‘Blockhead’ composed of various colors, sizes, and shapes of wooden blocks. The goal was to keep adding blocks while keeping the stack balanced, the loser being the one who tipped the creation. I remember being struck by how each balanced construction was somehow beautiful. I think making good collage follows this same formula.
Found paper on paper, 13 x 19 in.
Found paper on paper, 13 x 19 in.
As an art history student, I found everything to be a revelation: the artists of the early Renaissance, Dada artists, Duchamp, Arp, and Man Ray. So many. Over the years, I have had many magical moments that have built my life. As a student, I saw John Cage perform and talked with him afterward. His enthusiasm, honesty, openness as an artist, commitment to chance, and disciplined dedication to craft were revelatory.
Found paper on paper, 13 x 19 in.
Found paper and vintage silver gelatin print on paper, 13 x 19 in.
For over thirty years, Stephen Tomasko has created diverse artworks, including photographs, collages, mail art, drawings, and paintings that explore the American experiment. His works are in collections worldwide, including the Smithsonian, Museum Schloss Moyland, Karuizawa New Art Museum, and the Akron Art Museum. Recent exhibitions include shows at the Paul Brown Museum, Griffin Museum of Photography, and Snow College. Tomasko directs the Little Gallery at Bowling Green State University, chairs the AST artist grant committee, and has received an Individual Excellence Award from the Ohio Arts Council.
For Your Viewing Pleasure
JOHN BOSKOVICH (b. 1956, Los Angeles, d. 2006, Los Angeles) was an artist, filmmaker, writer, and teacher. Boskovich received a BFA from California Institute of the Arts in 1985. During his life Boskovich worked and exhibited in New York and Los Angeles.
ELIZABETH ZVONAR is an artist based in Vancouver, Canada. She makes objects and pictures that think through metaphor and the metaphysical, often using humour and references to art history. She is represented by Daniel Faria Gallery, Toronto.
JACOB ROBERT WHITLEY, (b. 1978, Toronto) is a Toronto-based artist who works predominantly in collage and sculpture. His practice roots through modernist art, architecture and design concepts to address issues of temporality, labour and technology.
CLESS, an artist residing in Valladolid, Spain, is Influenced by the Brazilian artist Eduardo Recife, He blends street art and 1970s poster styles into his collages, which harmoniously interact with typography, design, logos, and the whimsical details of pop art.
TAMAR COHEN is a New York based artist whose collages reside at the intersection of high and low culture. She is inspired equally by the sublime and the banal; by polka dots and all shades of the color green.
Out and About
What to watch, read, and experience, as curated by the Collé team.
▼ READ
Nigel Shafran, Workbooks 1984–2024
Loose Joints is proud to present Workbooks 1984–2024: an extensive book that gathers together a creative lifetime of collecting, imagining, sketching and recording by Nigel Shafran. Across 520 pages and forty years, this insight into Shafran's personal practice of visual note-taking generously reflects the vision of an iconic British photographer.
▼ READ
Janna Ireland’s “Pauline” Is a Passport into a Past Life
When she inherited her grandmother’s photographs, Janna Ireland discovered how image-making is an act of self-preservation.
▼ LISTEN
Chet Baker Sings and Plays, 1955
This recording is a quintessential jazz album showcasing Chet Baker's dual talents as a vocalist and trumpet player. The cover is a mostly black and white collage made of various sources. The photos of Baker were taken by William Claxton.
