In the Studio is an online-only feature of Kolaj Magazine where we peek inside the studios of collage artists. If you are interested in being featured, visit the In the Studio Call to Artists page.
The materials Glenn Fischer uses are meticulously hand-cut into strips and shapes and deliberately arranged to create different patterns. Fragmented images and parts of words and phrases very often offer clues to underlying narratives. Fischer is especially drawn to colour, imagery and subject matter from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s and he uses colour, line and shape to achieve different patterns in his work.
Fischer lives and works in New York City. He has had solo shows in both New York City and Southern California, and group shows in Miami, Philadelphia and Boston. His work can be seen in the book Cutting Edges: Contemporary Collage (Gestalten). Fischer’s collage Side One was featured in Collage Artist Trading Cards Pack Two.
My studio is located in the old Alexander Smith Carpet Mill, an expansive historic landmark building just north of New York City. It truly is a great space to work in with huge windows that let in this amazing light all day long. Rescued books, album covers and magazines line the walls of my studio. Collected over time from various locations – thrift stores, library book sales, donations, dumpsters – these discarded materials now live here with the hope of a new life.
My creative process is ritualistic in that each time I create a new piece I handle the materials as if it were my first interaction with them. For example, books are pulled from the shelves in groups of 5-7 at a time and then reviewed page by page. I’m often focused on a predetermined color palette that guides my eye. Interesting fonts and random words and phrases that jump off the pages usually get included during this culling process.
To learn more about Fischer, visit his website or Kolaj Magazine Artist Directory.
In the Studio is an online-only feature of Kolaj Magazine. If you are interested in being featured, visit the In the Studio Call to Artists page and follow the instructions.
Image (top):
Side One by Glenn Fischer
16″x16″; collage; 2011
Image (bottom):
And Other Show Stoppers by Glenn Fischer
30″x30″; collage; 2012