Art teacher’s mixed media collage exhibition coming to SHOP Preston

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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.

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.

An example of Jonny Lamin's artwork — An example of Jonny Lamin’s artwork

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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