(photo montage assembled from found images with ink and paint embellishments)
(photo montage assembled from found images)
These collages are part of an ongoing series of more than 300 that I began so that each copy of a limited-edition album I released (under my band name, Indoor Condor) could include a unique, original work of art. By setting an arbitrary goal of producing a high volume of collages, I was able to ignore the concerns that often slow or stop my production: What does this mean? Is this any good? Should I glue this up, or can I find a better juxtaposition if I keep looking for other matches? The content of this Series offers a ham-fisted commentary on the dehumanization models presented for prurient interest; the animal heads defamiliarize but leave intact the pull of that interest. In terms of medium, in an era when generative AI can conjure convincing images, the archaic practice of photo montage creates obviously artificial images that, whatever else one may say about them, aren't fooling anyone.
Ben Underwood Ben Underwood has been making collages since the mid-90s when he discovered the montage art of punk visual art pioneers such as Winston Smith. After abandoning academia with only 2-25 years left to complete his PhD in literature, Ben has built a career in the nonprofit space while remaining sporadically active in music, writing, and visual art. More at indoorcondor.com.
