Collages in search of home

In searching for paradise and what my own version looks like, I have been reflecting on where the images in my mind originate from. What has influenced my idea of a perfect life? Of a perfect place, a perfect moment?

This took me back to my childhood and the cultures that influenced me. My German and English roots, both themselves influenced by other cultures, as well as my daily childhood life.

My mother collects interior magazines, House & Garden being her favourite. There are always stacks of magazines lying around. Looking through them as a child and studying the profiles portrayed in them, I saw glimpses of mysterious varying lives. Interior designers that lived in carefully crafted London homes or gardeners tending to magical parklands.

There were also artists who would be shown with their work in their studios, meeting designers to discuss projects or chatting with friends in cafés. They seemed to have it all: An interesting social life, a creative passion of utmost importance and a secluded space to retreat to. The cliché seemed very tempting.

In an attempt to understand the images I had saved at the back of my mind, I recently asked my mother for a small stack of old magazines. Chuckling at the old-fashioned advertisements, I immediately got to work cutting out images that I connected with.

There were actually one or two that I remember, a deja-vu, a long-lost friend appearing on the page. I must have looked through these magazines too many times.

The resulting collages show my love for textures, layered compositions and old-world character. They are glimpses into my heritage and my future.