Travis Medford

Blanco Negro
collage on paper
5.5" x 3.5" 2013

 Travis Medford
 http://www.causeanddefect.tumblr.com/
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/causedefect/
 

Where are you from?

I grew up outside of Greenville, SC

How were you first introduced to collage?

I had a high school art teacher who turned me on to pop art and the works of Rauschenberg, Warhol, etc.

How long have you been working in the medium of collage?

Off and on since 89-90. Since high school.

Describe your work.

It’s ever changing , at least in my head. I am always reinventing myself and searching for “my voice” but generally speaking, there are bits and pieces of cast away pop culture, humor (dark and light) and a focus on composition.

What materials do you like to work with?

Paper, xacto, gluestick

Please describe your process.

I flip through piles of scraps, cut, glue, and layering until I have a composition that I like. I try not to think and just go. Collaborations are a bit different. Sometimes I have a specific image or color that will fit and I spend some time looking for that thing.

Do you collect anything?

Collecting falls into 2 camps for me: Collecting and hoarding.

I hoard scraps off the ground, old paper, books and magazines

I collect records, vintage hot rod, monster and girlie magazines.

Do you listen to music when you work?

No. The act of collage is a type of meditation for me. A time to unplug and free myself from the data and noises, voices, etc. Each collage is a sort of visual meditation/poem.

Do you have any formal art training?

Yes, BFA from Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore.

What other artists do you admire and why?

I am inspired daily by the artists that I collaborate with and who are friends on Facebook and Flickr. The list of artists that are influences is long. The short list would be: Rauschenberg, Schwitters, Duchamp, Ernst, Warhol, FAILE.

Do you have a favorite artist quote?

“I have forced myself to contradict myself in order to avoid conforming to my own taste.”

Marcel Duchamp

Yellow (Fortune Collage)
collage on paper
5.5" x 3.5" 2013

Being Still (Fortune Collage)
collage on paper
5.5" x 3.5"  2013