Collection: Darren Smith

Kaleidoscopes. Broken mirrors. Reflections on water.

I have always been intrigued by things that create new visions of the world around me. I developed my artistic technique–making collages from my photographs–to create my own way of remixing reality, so I can reflect the world in the surreal way I see it. Each collage is handmade using glue and hundreds or thousands of small fragments of my photographs. The layering of the pieces create a subtle three-dimensional effect, adding depth and a sculptural component.

I also make collages by hand with postage stamps, which offer unique windows into the cultures of the countries that created them. Who or what did they choose to honor? What artistic style was used? I was perusing my father's collection of stamps and thought they would be better appreciated as art rather than languishing in a dusty album. I glue the stamps on illustration board before overlaying a painted stencil to create the image. Each collage is an original, including stamps from the 1800s to 2000s that have been on journeys around the world on correspondence of matters great and small.