James Verbicky’s celebrated collages

The media paintings of transplanted Canadian artist James Verbicky are large sculptural collages of birch wood covered in vintage advertisements for popular brands and imagery from magazines in French.  (Above: Blitz 18)The California-based artist uses vintage media and graphics, advertisements, and obsolete branding materials, presenting the viewer with “the result of decades of attempts to persuade, manipulate, and coerce through subtle and suggestive imagery,” his artist statement notes. (Citta Samtana Diptych 79)The horizontal layout of his layers in a grid references artists such as Piet Mondrian. A resin topcoat renders the surface shiny and the paper transparent, so that the images on the backsides bleed through to the front, creating a sense of depth. (Blitz 19)

James Verbicky was born in Edmonton and lived the majority of his early life between Victoria and Vancouver. He collaborates frequently with philanthropic organizations, using his artwork to raise thousands for nonprofits like Waterkeeper Alliance. His works have been the focus of international exhibitions in the U.S. and Europe.

James Verbicky’s website, here.

Works at Madison Gallery, here.