'Sacred Niche': Labyrinth Cover Artist Q&A
Today, Artypants Mag is excited to unveil the cover art for our upcoming third print magazine, set to release this May with the theme: Labyrinth. We received applications from a diverse group of New England artists who interpreted the concept of Labyrinth through their chosen art mediums. After reviewing the submissions, the team selected "Sacred Niche" by Lindsey Boss as our cover piece.
This handcut collage captures the theme with magical moving interpretation while staying true to the unique artistic vision that Artypants readers have come to know and love in Boss's work.
“Utilizing vintage books for this piece, Labyrinth to me resonated as this journey being one entrance and one exit, carrying with us the sacred tools and wisdoms we learn along the way — the image I used of the old niche shelf of antiques and a candle represents this. In the midst of all these lines and spirals in life, we have our sacred space.”
Q&A Interview Ping Pong
LB: I took my time seeking and gathering inspiration for this particular theme... it was important to me to be all in and explore a little more deeply. I searched many of my vintage Nature Life books for a desert--especially after seeing an image of the desert on the application page. All I could think of was lines in sand. I was brewing thoughts of those lines, of spirals, of shells, and the idea of life being a journey.
APM: Incredible to hear your thought process as you created something for our Labyrinth issue! What do you think people don’t know about the hand-cut collage process and your particular artistic process?
LB: I never use the same image or book pages twice, so once it’s glued, that’s it! Nothing is manipulated digitally to make things work. I sort of made this rule for myself a while ago to keep it challenging and I enjoy limitations. It means I really have to search within tangible materials. If I find the perfect image that isn’t the right size, I have to just accept that and move on. If I really cherish an image, I will photo copy it to save before I cut and use it.
APM: How did you begin creating collages & where has this journey taken you? Do you work with any other mediums at this time?
LB: I began cutting and pasting while sitting on the floor of one of my apartments after college, surrounded by some cool books that had been given to me. I had taken an experimental illustration class my senior year that opened up an entire new world. Burnt out on drawing and painting, I just wanted to cut and play with juxtaposition. The first collages I ever saw that made me literally say “wow” outloud was the work of Beth Hoeckel, which inspired me to keep on collaging and forming my own style. She’s still my original favorite!
My collage journey has been cool because it can fluctuate between reflective solitude and connections—vintage lovers, musicians, and other artists of all mediums, but certain people I relate to as a “collage people.”
APM: Your work evokes emotion. Are you setting up with the intention to arrange to provoke this?
LB: Always. An extremely emotional person myself, all I want is to be open about it and have that resonate with others. It can be hard for us to talk about what's going on these days in our own emotional landscapes while there is so much going on in the larger picture of the world—I'm afraid we are all feeling small. I like to believe that if we can connect by art and a collective mutual feeling, the human experience won’t be so minimized.
APM: If you had a budget of $40 and wanted to create your first collage, what would you need to get started?
LB: Collage is so affordable, thank goodness. Honestly, the thing to splurge on would be the scissors! A couple different sizes. Good ones are important. $40 will totally get you these, an Xacto knife, glue sticks (I swear Staples brand seem to be the best) and some preferred books from Savers. The beauty of this art form is that you will also almost always have something in your house already that you could use as well—magazines, old paper, postcards, etc.
APM: Wow, thank you for peeling back the curtain. Where can people view your work and watch your artistic endeavors?
LB: www.lindseyboss.com, @lindsey_boss, lindseyboss.com or via recent interview by Creative Pathways Project on Spotify or YouTube
Look familiar? Boss was the cover artist for Issue 02 and had “pink things on a page” featured in our first issue!
Bio
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Lindsey Boss
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Bio 🐚 Lindsey Boss 🌀
Lindsey Boss is a collage artist working quietly in her home on the south shore of Massachusetts. After graduating Mass College of Art and Design in 2008, collage became a favorite medium, and an obsession, really. She fell in love with cutting and pasting, combining already existing imagery to tell a story. Avidly collecting vintage books and magazines and the search for material preferably from the 50's-80's is a huge part of the process. Collage is a way of processing life's experiences, and in sharing the work she hopes to evoke a sense of both mystery and familiarity in the viewer. She's interested in the idea that everybody has a story and sharing hers cryptically through collage can resonate with others'. In her days of city living, she showed work in galleries and hopes to again someday; continuing to work and settle her way into the beautiful artistic community of her now coastal suburban life.
Domesticity is the theme currently inspiring the majority of her work--she is in her domestic season and attempting to express that this shift in lifestyle can be just as magical as a life of adventure. What is distinct about her work is the juxtaposition of whimsy natural elements within ordinary homey items, and she is truly honing in on that.
Explore Lindsey’s work via the links below! Be sure to preorder Issue 03: Labyrinth shipping mid-May!