Fictions: The Portland Archive: Converging by Andrea Burgay
My Fictions series of sculptural collages on deconstructed books reimagine the potential of these discarded objects. The books are layered with collage elements that are repeatedly taken apart and reassembled resulting in a transformation that evokes both deterioration and growth. Some books explode with color, while others are eaten away, ravaged by time.
The books I use are no longer desired. Found at thrift stores or used book sales, they tell stories of their own, but also of previous moments in time and their relationships to past owners. The books are chosen for a color or texture that resonates, a title or phrase that attracts the eye.
I imagine that these objects have taken on lives of their own, neglected and ignored stories pouring out of them and mixing. Either documents of the past or reimagined fictions, these objects no longer communicate what they once did, but now explore realms of remembrance and projection, nostalgia and evolution.
The works in The Portland Archive are made from books and paper ephemera purchased in Portland, OR in May of 2021.
Andrea Burgay deconstructs and paints with paper, making collage-based reconstructions of experiences and memories in her Brooklyn, NY studio. By adding and removing layers of handmade and collected materials, her works present a physical manifestation of the passage of time through cycles of destruction and renewal. Andrea is also the founder and editor of Cut Me Up, a participatory collage magazine and curatorial project. Each issue of Cut Me Up presents a curated selection of artworks, intended for readers to deconstruct and transform into new artworks in response to curatorial calls.
Instagram: @andreaburgay