THI S AND TH AT I started making collages in the early 1990s, soon after moving to San Francisco. I stumbled upon Community Thrift, a big and very gay store just down the street. They had a continually replenishing supply of National Geographics for 50 cents or a buck each. Many of my early collages featured animals, landscapes, plants, and planets from the magazine. I had fun with it, and I still do. Sometimes I’m trying to make something that looks cool or makes me laugh. Other times, I’m driven by an idea or feeling that emerges from a dream, a shadow, a tree, a small drama on city streets, a newspaper story. When I get an idea that sticks with me, I want to put it on paper. I’ve made about 400 collages, at least that I still have. This book contains a selection of some of my favorites. All of them were made on paper, except for the second “Subway” collage, which is a digital design. I’ll stop there, and let the collages speak for themselves. Make of them what you will. Thanks for looking. Paul VanDeCarr 2022
Book design by Masha Chausovsky. Photography and station design in second “Subway” collage by Steve Shohl.