Ursula Macher
Austria
Website
www.diecollagemacherin.com
Social Media
Instagram
How would you describe your work?
For several years, I created all my collages digitally. This seemed to me to be the best way to design the collages exactly as I wanted them. The ability to scan individual pieces of paper and then enlarge, reduce or mirror them as needed seemed to be just right for me and it was so convenient. Although at the same time I always had the feeling that something wasn't ‘right’ about it, I always felt that something was missing.
About a year ago, I radically changed my mind about digital collages. I now want to create unique pieces, collages that physically exist. The collages should also thrive on the diversity of the papers used, whose appearance changes depending on how the light falls on them. The fact that AI is increasingly penetrating the world of art and I don't want to provide templates for it, has certainly accelerated this development.
My works are becoming increasingly abstract and minimalistic, with negative space becoming more and more important. At the same time, my love for nature, plants and animals continually shines through – there is hardly a collage in which at least one of these elements cannot be found.
What inspires you?
I like to draw inspiration from the colours and shapes I encounter in everyday life.
Structures created by nature often play a role in this. I enjoy visiting art museums and galleries – not at least to let the colours and shapes used by other artists influence me.
I am also interested in the perspectives and visual language of films. Finally, graphic design and typography also have a significant influence on my work.
Can you speak about your process?
A new collage always begins with an image fragment that catches my eye as I browse through my materials. My archive consists of countless magazines and books and has grown quite a bit over the years. I can't walk past an antique bookshop or flea market without finding something I can use for my work.
I compose my collage around this section. This can take several hours, or in some cases even days. I usually leave the preliminary result on my desk and look at it again and again. Then I can see whether something is missing or whether there is too much.
If I get stuck with a draft, I photograph it and put it in a folder. I often take these drafts out weeks later and continue working on them or discard them altogether.
It is usually the colour composition that arouses my interest – colours are very important to me in general. Colours that I feel do not go together make me feel restless and nervous. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that I am a synesthete. My compositions have to trigger an emotional response in me. I have to “like” them, then I consider them to be ready. For me, every collage must have a certain magic, something mysterious, inexplicable. Only then I do consider a collage to be done well.
I miss that magic in today's world, where everything has to be smooth and straightforward, like the surface of an iPhone. My collages should not be like that, and they are allowed, no, they should be rough and a little bit weird.
How did you become interested in art?
I think I've always been interested in art. At school, my first art teacher encouraged this interest. Consequently, I chose to become a graphic designer and have been doing this my whole life.
Do you have any favorite artists, movies, books, or quotes?
There are some collage artists that I really love and adore, beginning with Hannah Höch, nowadays mainly Bob Voigts, Scott Gordon, Duane Toops, Vincent La Scala, Clive Knights and Edina Picco.
I love for example the books of Ferdinand von Schirach, Ian McEwan, Lily Brett and the films of Quentin Tarantino, Giorgos Lanthimos, Peter Greenaway and Pedro Almodóvar.
I want to end this interview with a quote of Jonah Lehrer: „Every creative story is different. And every creative story is the same. There was nothing. Now there is something. It's almost like magic.”
