7″x4.25″x.75″; collage and decollage on paperback book; 2024. Courtesy of the artist.
COLLAGE ON VIEW
Andrea Burgay: Fictions
in the Guldner Gallery in the Central Library of the Kansas City Public Library in Kansas City, Missouri, USA
1 June-17 August 2024
“Whatever I found to be good I would preserve, and transform what was not.”
–Patti Smith, M Train
Andrea Burgay’s “Fictions” series explores realms of remembrance, nostalgia, projection, and evolution.
The Brooklyn-based artist creates sculptural collages out of deconstructed paperbacks found at thrift stores or used book sales. These books, in genres such as science fiction, action/adventure, or romance, are chosen for a color or texture that resonates, or a title or phrase that attracts the eye.
In her studio, Burgay layers the books with collage elements, then repeatedly takes them apart and reassembles them into new forms. The result: a transformation that evokes both deterioration and regrowth.
7″x4.5″x1″; collage and decollage on paperback book; 2024. Courtesy of the artist.
These reimagined objects take on lives of their own, neglected and ignored stories mixing and pouring out of them. Some explode with color–others are eaten away, ravaged by time. The works in “Fictions” are compact but rich and powerful. Through a highly textured, abstract vocabulary, each work allows the viewer to complete the potential narrative informed by their own emotional response.
Burgay’s research and practice expands our understanding beyond typical collage techniques. Even the glue itself is not simply a hidden component, but an important character in these dramas, holding together the tiny bits and pieces of these fragile stories. “Fictions” could alternatively be read as lyrical “poems”–not explicit but implicit–ambiguous and unresolved, but essential and familiar.
The intimate work in this collection invites us to slow down and look more closely at these reworked narrative topographies. Spending time with her unique process, we might develop a renewed curiosity for creative play and consider the potential ways in which we can reshape our individual and collective stories.
(text adapted from materials provided by the artist)
INFORMATION
Guldner Gallery
Kansas City Public Library, Central Library
14 West 10th Street
Kansas City, Missouri 64105 USA
(816) 701-3400
Hours:
Sunday, 1-5PM
Monday-Wednesday, 9AM-7PM
Thursday-Saturday, 9AM-5PM