WHY COLLAGE book Issue #2

   This little book invite you for a short, yet beautiful and incentive stroll through the world of collage art, offering you to explore the remarkable works of 29 contemporary artists who employ distinct styles and collage techniques. These artists provide insight into their creative process and share their personal perspectives on the significance of collage, inspiring and motivating readers to explore their artistic abilities.

Agnieszka Zając

Plymouth, United Kingdom

The text

   “Creating collages is the best way for me to express myself artistically. There's a certain magic to it, as it allows me to collect bits and pieces of history and stories and use them to challenge my thinking. Without even realizing it, I am constantly drawn to the work table to explore various resources, cut, compose, and glue them. Above all, it is a therapeutic outlet for me, but it can also be for the viewers since it can encourage them to reflect on their identities and feelings. Collage is a profoundly emotional experience, both in creating it and in the final result. Like any other art form, it can be interpreted in countless ways, making it incredibly rich and versatile. Creating art, such as collages, as a routine can boost your confidence and strength. It allows you to become more fearless about failure and unlock your potential to create amazing things. Engaging in art can also help you develop a tolerance for frustration, as creating something truly special takes time and effort. Artistic pursuits teach you to persevere through obstacles and setbacks, building resilience that can be applied to other areas of life. Just like art, life can continuously be reshaped and reconfigured”.

Simão Matos

Interview FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COLLAGE GUILD

SIMÃO MATOS

Interview date 30th May 2023, by Kat Evans

Hello!

Tell us a bit about where you are based and how your surroundings affect your work?

    I'm based in Alicante, Spain, since 2012. I am a teacher working in a European School, representing my beloved country, which is Portugal. Being also an artist (focused on sculpture and painting until then), since I arrived in Spain, far from home and my studio, I spent some years far from my artistic routines, primarily due to my demanding new professional duties. As anyone knows, it is impossible to live without expressing ourselves, but the artist, much of the time, that expression leads to any visual evidence. That is how I found collage: the best way to feed my need to create. Soon it became a passion. My answer to the question is more about the circumstances than the surroundings. 

Describe to us how you store your creative resources, are your images digital or analog, do you keep every scrap of paper or are you very selective with your chosen resources?  

  Well, it is something I can't control. I keep almost everything, believing it might be helpful in any future creation. I have shelves everywhere, and then, the floor. I don't have any digital resources. I buy a newspaper (with a magazine) every Sunday. Then I select from the newspaper some images to keep for later, and I use the remains to cover the floor, since I mostly use glue in a spray. I barely use images from recently bought magazines. I do prefer to keep them for two or three years. I have also brought several collections of old magazines, and the surrounding space (some of you will understand) is like heaven. It is my "Collage Sanctuary". The instant just before opening an old magazine (the 50s, 60s, and 70s) brings me the same feeling as a child before Christmas. So even though I have loads of resources, I still have much to explore in them, intentionally very slowly, to extend these feelings as much as possible.

How do you define success as a creative artist?

   I am a part-time artist. Please don't get me wrong, I am an artist by formation, but I make my life as an Art teacher. Whenever I have the chance to advise a young artist, a couple of things come to me: you need to be creative, do something unique and, sometimes, bold. It would be best if you create a lot. And way better to make it a routine. Creating more artwork increases your chances of producing something special. Don't be afraid to fail. A creative block is a temporary state, it won’t last forever. Put all of yourself in every single part of your work. Your inspiration, as well as your creativity, will grow. Even being like a muscle (as many people say), you don't need to force it. It will be natural. Explore alternatives around any creation you like most. Create series. It can also be rewarding. Most of the time will lead you to other new yet unique configurations. Always enjoy the process and be proud of yourself, whatever the result. You have a superpower. You can create things!  And then, to be succeeded, you must show your work. The result is more recognised when you focus on promoting it, connecting to other artists, and giving some public visibility. With the right connections, social media can help you reach a wider audience and find personal experiences from other artists you can use as inspiration. Create your portfolio and approach galleries, art institutions and cultural centers for potential opportunities. Someone may invite you to a collective exhibition. Or a solo. Who knows? Attend as many shows as possible: so many secrets can be revealed if you have a sharp eye and a child's curiosity. Success, indeed, takes much investment: first, and the easiest part, in the product and later in its visibility. 

Does art help you in other areas of your life?

If yes, can you tell us a bit about this.

  Indeed. As I have mentioned before, it helps you be more creative. Without noticing, art enables you to start to see things differently. You stop accepting every first result in any context of your work. You can always "polish" it. You can see ordinary things differently, shifting between several points of view. You question yourself constantly in favour of achieving better results. You seek to give your best in everything you do. On the other hand, art's best benefit is to generate tolerance for facing frustration. Art, for me, is also a result of a history of attempts. Despite the obstacles, it tells you your efforts will lead to something special. It nourishes your resilience. Even with much more to say, art has an empowering effect. I love creating something and then having positive feedback from others. It gives you the necessary confidence to cope with unfavourable moments.

Now, can you tell us who your creative influences are,

whose work are you adoring at the moment?

  It is always quite challenging to name artists. The passion for art makes you know new artists, or in this case, collage artists and lovers, every day. Despite collage, one of my favourite living artists is Anselm Kieffer. That said, I quickly get in love with several artists when scrolling through Instagram and visiting their web pages. As you know, I created the @collagesanctuaries feed to promote the "human side" of artists. I am eternally grateful for meeting some outstanding ones that generously sent fascinating material and stories to share. All of them inspire me every day. 

Lastly, we would like to know about current projects.

What are you working on right now?

  As mentioned, I have been more of a casual artist lately. That doesn't mean I don't have many ideas constantly in my head. It means that I still need to create my new creative routines. Since these last two years, my daily work has become highly demanding, and when I am back home, I frequently feel exhausted. So, occasionally I work on the weekends. Still, most of my (mental and intellectual) free time is being used with @collagesantuaries since the Ukrainian war started by promoting art and artists who use collages against the stupid war and in favour of peace. I invite you all to visit it and participate. I look forward to returning to my old daily creative routines and being more of an artist than a promoter.

Curatorial Volume.2, Leaders in Contemporary Art

ISBN: 978-1-925968-36-1 - Avenue House Press PTY LTD (1 JANUARY 2019)

Curatorial Volume.2 is a captivating documentation of today’s leading contemporary artists, showcasing current artwork of the highest caliber.

This book takes a rare and insightful behind-the-scenes look at the lives and creative practices of artists working in multiple disciplines from around the globe. Curatorial Volume.2 highlights the varied and dynamic use of media and techniques, as well as trends shaping today’s visual culture.

Curatorial Volume.2 is an essential guide for marketing and design teams, interior decorators, art buyers and creative practitioners who want to connect and collaborate with influential contemporary artists.

“Simão Matos (b.1973) is a Portuguese contemporary collage artist. Through a sequence of complex and simple visual cues, Simão designs his artwork for conveying messages and evoking what he strives to induce in his work, singularity. 

He hunts and collects ephemeral fragments from history that he can add to each piece. By doing so, he looks to configure his collages for a rich visual and reflective experience for the viewer. Through his work, he tries to create instruments that allow people to express their emotions, appealing to think about their position in the world.

Simão currently works at the European School of Alicante as an art teacher seconded by the Portuguese Ministry of Education. He studied Fine Arts at the Arts and Design Institute of Caldas da Rainha. He later resumed his academic studies at the Education Institute of Leiria, Portugal, specialising in the field of art education.

In 2018 he completed a Master Degree in Creative Therapies and Art Therapy in Murcia University, Spain, with a high distinction. He now runs guest lectures for new masters students and develops creative stimulation workshops.

Recently, he completed a Master’s Degree in School Administration and Management at Universidade Aberta, Lisboa, Portugal. His dissertation, Being Through the Arts explores the role of art education for the emotional well-being of young students and how it can improve school culture and organisational climates”.