James Springall (born 1977, Middlesbrough) is a British artist known for his collages and photomontages. By reusing, re-presenting, and recontextualising, he is resuscitating long-forgotten imagery, bringing it back to life in alternative forms to create new meanings. Drawing from his vast collection of old books and magazines but also utilising a diverse range of source materials from instruction manuals to junk mail, 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 our image-saturated digital age and 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, using absurdity as a vehicle to make a social commentary speaking to pop culture and personal identity while questioning spurious beliefs about originality and ownership, resulting in a body of work that prods the status quo and exudes narrative and satire.

Springall’s work has been shown in group exhibitions across Europe, including ones at the Royal Academy of Arts and Saatchi Gallery in London, Towner Gallery in Eastbourne, Feinkunst Krüger in Hamburg, and LESS in Viborg; published in The Age of Collage 3 (Gestalten), it has been featured by publications including AnOther, AnOther, Elephant, and HUCK and commissioned by brands including Rough Trade, Noble Rot, and VICE. He has curated exhibitions of contemporary collage for Jealous Gallery in London and The Viborg Museum in Denmark. He lives and works near Rye, East Sussex.

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