Who and what inspires your art?
For many years, I have been intrigued by mixed media collage. From discovering the work of Robert Rauschenberg during my school days, I have continued to be informed by collage artists including Kurt Schwitters, John Stezaker, Eduardo Recife and Greg Gossel.
For me, collage is a multifaceted practice that can be utilised for everything from a simple compositional tool, to the creation of dense and visually rich work in its own right. I particularly enjoy the combination and juxtaposition of elements to create a sense of narrative; a constructed narrative if you like. By combining unexpected elements, questions may be raised in the mind of the viewer as to their connection and relationship to one another.
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How do you source materials and create your collages?
I am a keen collector of imagery and always on the lookout for visual material. Over the years I have amassed a healthy bank of found materials I can draw upon to create new works. This can include everything from newspapers, magazines, posters, flyers, photographs or any other kinds of paper-based materials I find interesting. I often cut up old drawings from my sketchbooks to include. Some of my favourite finds have been some of the 1950s magazines I sourced in the second-hand bookshops down Friargate. This vintage imagery can also add a sense of nostalgia to the work.
I like to surround myself with all this visual information, playing around with different arrangements before committing to a final composition.
Is there a theme to your art?
The thread that runs through my practice is a genuine interest in the lived human experience. While a prime motivation is collaging this imagery in a visually pleasing manner, it may also be seen to reflect the busyness and complexity of human life, while also – in a small way) documenting cultural and historical shifts over time.
How are you feeling about the upcoming exhibition?
It’s a privilege to be able to have access to such a great resource as SHOP for my exhibition. Despite a profession in Art education, it has been a challenge to develop my own practice, so to have an accessible, friendly venue to host an event of this kind is a real gift.
The Preston art scene is a thriving and welcoming place thanks to many hard-working folks working across various disciplines and contexts. It’s great to be putting some work out and feeling like a small part of that. It’s certainly something I hope to do more of!
The Jonny Lamin Exhibition will run at SHOP Preston From Thursday 17 July to Saturday 19 July.
For more information, follow @jonny_lamin on Instagram.
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