DOWNTIME w/ Morgan Lappin

1) Location? Brooklyn, NY 🇺🇸

2) Years collaging? I’ve been collaging since 2007, so 9 years.

3) What do you love and hate about collage? For me collaging is a form of meditation, it’s a much needed escape from reality. I enjoy collecting images, organizing, it’s a form of self-gratification… In the end I love creating stories and images that inspire others. I also love studying other collage artists style. It’s amazing how many unique styles there are and I love discovering new collage artists. I can’t say there’s anything I dislike about collage, other than the fact that collage art is still not taken as seriously as other forms of art. I would like to think that attitude will change in the future. It inspired me to put together my own team of collage artists here in Brooklyn, which I founded in 2013, known as the Brooklyn Collage Collective.

4) Biggest influences?  Music: I’m a musician first and foremost. I write and record my own music and it’s one of the most amazing feelings in the world to have the ability to do it all. Here are some of my top influences: MUSIC: A Band of Bee's, Lou Christie, Frank Zappa, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Beulah, Harry Nilsson, Yes, No Means No, Billy Joel, Skeletons, DJ Shadow, Cream, Tame Impala, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Flaming Lips, Michael Jackson, Thin Lizzy, 10cc, The Beach Boys, Biggie, Chapterhouse, Kool Keith, America, R. Stevie Moore, XTC, Squeeze, Decedents, Fugazi, Queen, Shudder to Think, Killing Joke, Super Furry Animals, Jospeh K., Talk Talk, Tears for Fears, The Hollies, Shuggie Otis, The Doves, The Doors, Toadies, Prince, Medications, Beauty Pill, Nation of Ulysses, Richard Swift, Ryan Power, Prefab Sprout, Faith No More, Fantomas, Broadcast, Stone Temple Pilots, Cut Copy, Olivia Tremor Control, America, Punch Brothers, King Missile, Dismemberment Plan, Curtis Mayfeild, Q and Not U, Autolux, Poor Moon, Abulance LTD, True Widow, Chris Cohen, The Depreciation Guild, Jim Sullivan, Jonathan Wilson, Max Tundra, Sade, Crystal Skulls, Prefab Sprout, White Denim, Toro Y Moi, Gang of Four, Kelley Stoltz, T. Rex, Hounds Tooth, The Glands, Avi Buffalo, Silk Rhodes, Dent May, BOBBY, For Against, The Clientele, Luna, Enon, Everything Everything, The Cure, Villagers, Paul and The Tall Trees, Pablo, The Immediate, Alice in Chains, Young Galaxy, Deathfix, Black Keys, Flairs, Chicago, Swing out Sister, Bad Finger, Butterglory, Matt Suggs, Grandaddy, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Of Montreal, Phoenix, Tahiti 80, Priestbird, David Bowie, Self, Bad Brains, Tribe Called Quest, KMD, Dream Theater, Land of Talk, Elbow, James Brown, Hendrix, ELO, The Move, The Zombies, Embrace, Skull Snaps, Black Sabbath, MF DOOM, Death, George Duke, Bill Withers, The Commodores, Neil Young, Andy Partridge, Elliot Smith, Black Sabbath, The Sea and Cake, Blood Sweat and Tears, Stereolab, Radiohead, Brainiac, Fleetwood Mac, The Buckinghams, The Turtles, Flo and Eddie, RATT, Metal Church, NERD, National Skyline, Pantera, Brazzaville, Mr.Bungle, C + C Music Factory, CHIN CHIN, Datarock, Django Reinhardt, Donald Fagen, Steely Dan, Down, Faraquet, Flaming Lips, Fountains Of Wayne, Hall & Oats, Hugo Montenegro, Bill Withers, Ice-T, Jamiroquai, Jeff Buckley, Lewis Taylor, Mayer Hawthorn, Men At Work, Michael Franks, Nada Surf, Zebra, Paul Gonzalves, Tito Puentes, Primus, Wesley Willis, White Zombie, Miles Davis, Young Marble Giants, Return to Forever, Thundercat, Cool Calm Pete, Jesus Lizard ARTISTS: Simon Bisley, HR Giger, Salvador Dali, Boy Kong, Jesse McCloskey, Wayne White, Martha Rosler, Kristian, Glynn and Jason Covert.

5) Analog Vs Digital? I think I’ve used photoshop once to clean something up but Analog for me is the way to go. It’s all about the hunt for the book, the image, and the physical organization of clippings. I have thousands of precut clips organized in a filing system. I think I spend 90% of my time collecting and organizing than actually creating the collage itself. Then again, it’s all part of the process of course. It’s hard to answer when someone asks how long it took to make a specific piece. I also use tape in my work, no glue. For me this method is best because it allows the work to evolve and change. With glue, its final for the most part. What I do is I take little pieces of tape and place them on my torso so they lose some of the tackiness allowing me to make changes later on. People freak when I tell them I don’t use archival material. Usually they’re art school students who had the term “archival” drilled into their head. I get it, and understand. but to me, the idea of a piece of art growing old with you, going through changes, and falling to pieces’ years later is an important part of the work itself. I also like that when you use tape, you get the clips to lean forward a bit creating a small drop shadow adding dimension to the collage.

6) How do you spend your downtime? Well, I have a 50HR full time job as an Interior Design Client and Storage manager. My downtime is making art, music, cleaning, cleaning, organizing, and then cleaning again. I also hang with my Pug daughter, Molly Moon. Besides that, art shows, music shows, rocking out with friends, and masturbation.

7) Three tips for someone starting out in collage?  1. Don’t give a fuck about what anyone else thinks. 2. Wait ten minutes after you eat before collaging. 3. Don’t sit on your xacto knife.

8) Up and coming shows or projects we should know about? : Best way to find out about shows is through our facebook account, or our IG account: @brooklyncollagecollective I have a few strange ideas I’m looking to put together.. so keep an eye out, this could get spic.

Links:

Instagram:  @morgan_jesse_lappin
Tumblr: Therubberjerusalemexperiment.tumblr.com + dad-was-mom.tumblr.com/
Website: www.morganappin.com
http://www.brooklyncollagecollective.com/
 

Artworks (top to bottom)
'Mechanophilia' Handcut collage
'They Made Us Detectives (1979)' Handcut collage
'KABLAM' Handcut collage
'AC Experiments' Handcut collage
'CITY OF BOOM' Handcut collage
'Holy Trinity' Handcut collage
'Uncle Susan’s Penthouse' Handcut collage
'MOBY DICK' Handcut collage