James Springall is a British artist known for his photomontage and collage. By reusing, re-presenting, and recontextualising, he is resuscitating imagery, bringing it back to life in alternative forms to create new meanings. Drawing from a collection of old books, postcards and magazines, his handmade juxtapositions nod toward Dada, Surrealism, and Pop Art.

Playing with humour and tragedy in equal measure to evoke a visual world at odds with digital age consumer culture, Springall’s minimalist compositions are frequently comprised entirely of just two pieces of aged paper. These simple gestures often take on complex meanings, prodding the status quo whilst using absurdity and satire as vehicles to make a social commentary speaking to sociopolitical issues, popular culture and personal identity.

Springall’s work has been shown in group exhibitions across Europe, including London Original Print Fair (Royal Academy of Arts), 50 x 50 II (Saatchi Gallery), Jealous Needs You (Jealous), AOAP (Towner Gallery), The Age of Collage 2 (Feinkunst Krüger) and LESS (Viborg). Published in The Age of Collage 3 (Gestalten), it has been featured by publications including AnOther, AnOther, Elephant, Collé and HUCK, and commissioned by brands including Rough Trade, Noble Rot and VICE. He has curated exhibitions of contemporary collage for Jealous and Viborg Museum. He lives and works near Rye, East Sussex.

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