Ruth Van Beek

Growing up I spent so much time in my room armed with scissors, glue sticks & stacks & stacks of tattered magazines. Collaging was just about my favorite way to kill time. I loved snipping out little bits that appealed to me & making something new. My walls were plastered with my handy-work. In hindsight it was actually kind of a nightmare in there - so much going on! But I liked it. So, when I stumbled across Ruth Van Beek's work my heart did a little jump. Her collages really struck a chord.

"Van Beek’s work represents a more controlled, more intimate breed of collage work. [She] cuts and folds common domestic pets and animals into creatures that exist somewhere between photography and collage. Through van Beek’s handy work, the facial features of the animals are often removed—further abstracting them from a sense of space. With the loss of distinguishing features, the altered animals begin to take on new identities." - *

Images via: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6