Downtime Interview w/ Max-o-matic
“Collage is a tool for reshaping meaning, whether through paper, film, sculpture, paint, or even the body itself.”
— Max-o-matic, 2025
1) LOCATION?
Since 2002, I’m based in Barcelona, Spain. 🇪🇸
2) YEARS COLLAGING?
Even though I have made my first collages in the mid-90s to illustrate the fanzines I was publishing at that time, I can’t say that those can be considered part of my body of work. My first proper collage work started in 2002, not long after I arrived to Barcelona. I still have got the Moleskine notebook full of paper cuts assembled in a very Dadá meets Pop Art fashion that started my collage experimentation. So, to answer properly your question: 23 years and counting.
3) WHY IS COLLAGE AN APPEALING MEDIUM?
Generally speaking, I think that collage appeals because of its openness and accessibility. It’s a democratic practice that welcomes new voices and encourages experimentation across a wide stylistic range.
But for me, collage goes beyond being just a technique or medium. I see it as a way of perceiving, processing, and engaging with the world. It’s not just about scissors, magazines, or glue sticks, it's about appropriation, recontextualization, and resignification –and we can do that with images, sounds and almost anything. Collage is a tool for reshaping meaning, whether through paper, film, sculpture, paint, or even the body itself. So what draws me most to collage is its ability to reconfigure reality, offering a way to express my ideas, emotions, and questions—and to share them in a language built from fragments of the world I inhabit.
4) WHO ARE THE BIGGEST INFLUENCES ON YOUR WORK?
My list of influences is always evolving, but if I had to name an all-time top seven—no particular order—it would be: DIY fanzine culture, Oulipo, punk rock, John Baldessari, Raymond Roussel, Velázquez, and of course, Matisse.
5) ANALOG VS DIGITAL, WHAT ARE THE PROS & CONS OF EACH?
I work in both analog and digital collage and enjoy them in different ways. One of the projects I’m most proud of, 126 Sextillion Collages (link), is a generative, digital-based work that let me bring randomness and repetition into the process in ways that aren’t possible with analog methods.
At the same time, there’s something about the tactile experience of analog collage that I find way more satisfying—both while making the work and when looking at the finished piece.
For me, it’s all about knowing what you want to express and choosing the right tools to get there.
6) WHAT ARE THREE TIPS FOR SOMEONE STARTING OUT IN COLLAGE?
My first piece of advice would be: dive deep into the history of collage. The more you learn about how it has shaped and responded to different moments in art history, the easier it is to understand collage not just as a technique—or a set of aesthetic choices—but as a way of seeing and engaging with the world.
When I started working with collage, I skipped that part. It took me a while to realize that what I thought was a brilliant, original idea was basically a second hand, out-of-context John Baldessari piece. If I’d had a broader understanding of the medium back then, I might’ve approached it very differently.
My second piece of advice would be: make space for both thinking and not-thinking. These are different stages in the creative process, and each brings something valuable to the work. Collage, in my view, isn’t just about intuition and free flow—but it’s not just planning and design either. There’s a gut instinct involved, something that guides you through the process without always needing to explain itself. It’s that balance—between intention and spontaneity—that gives a collage depth. Otherwise, it risks becoming a formula, something hollow and repetitive. But when it works, it becomes something more—something that resonates on other levels.
My third tip would be to take time to reflect on the images you use—what they mean to you, and what they might mean to others. The materials we choose say a lot about us and shape our work more than we often realize. That’s why I think it’s essential to be conscious and intentional about what we include in a collage. Sometimes it feels like Life magazine is the obvious choice for collage, and in some cases it works, but in other cases, it just doesn’t fit and ends up feeling like we’re following a formula. The more intentional we are in our choices, the more solid and personal our work becomes.
7) HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR DOWNTIME?
I try to stay active as much as my body lets me—which, to be honest, isn’t as much as I’d like. Padel (if you don’t know what it is, please check this out) and running are my go-to activities. Outside the studio, I spend time with family and friends… you know, the usual things a middle-aged collage artist does in a place like Barcelona.
8) WHERE DO YOU SEE YOUR ART PRACTICE HEADING?
I don’t really know. I always see things clear when they have already happened, so I’ll wait for things to happen to acknowledge them and then say that it was all part of my masterplan.
Velazquez in the mall 3, Paper collage from found magazine, 21x27cm, 2018
9) WHICH THREE ARTISTS SHOULD WE CHECK OUT?
There are so many!
Cless (@clessisms) is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated artists in the collage world. He’s also a great friend of mine.
Alvaro Naddeo (@alvaro_naddeo) is one of my personal favorites that shows that collage is way more than scissors and magazines.
Matija Bobičić (@bobicicmatija), who I dream of owning one of his paintings.
10) WHAT MUSIC ARE YOU LOVING RIGHT NOW?
Lately, I’ve been deep in a Morphine phase. I liked them back in the ’90s, but they weren’t exactly my favorite. Now, though, I’ve connected with their music in a way I hadn’t before. I’ve also been listening a lot to Panda Bear (his latest album is brilliant), Kim Deal (always amazing, and her new record is no exception), and Doechii—Alligator Bites has been on repeat in my studio for days. And then there’s Yo La Tengo—my go-to band whenever I need a dose of instant comfort and joy.
11) UP AND COMING SHOWS OR PROJECTS WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT?
I’m working on a new version of The Weird Show, the project I’ve been running for the past 15 years. It’s been an intense few months full of planning, rethinking, and building. There are a lot of exciting ideas in the works, and I’m hopeful they’ll take shape and come to life very soon. I’m really looking forward to this next chapter.
See more 👀
Website: maxomatic.net
Instagram: @maxomatic
www.theweirdshow.info
instagram: @theweirdshowofficial
126 Sextillion Collages, Digital Collage, 3840 x 2160px, 2022
