Artist of the Week: Ola Wikström

It is not too often that the viewer can look at a piece of art and have the word precision come to mind, but that is the exact I thought when I first looked at the work of Ola Wikstrom. Based in Stockholm, the process for his creations is fascinating. In his words, "I cut them into 1x1cm pieces which I paste on cardboard" or "Jag klipper upp dem i 1x1cm stora rutor som jag klistrar p' kartong", but it is so much more than that. He creates intricate landscapes, mangled scenes, fragmented realities, from these precisely cut squares. I see it as a way to force order in a world of chaos. So when looking at a piece of artwork through that lens, there is an inherent amount of peacefulness that is associated.

Recently, Ola was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): Your process, unlike other collage artists, seems very percise. How did your work evolve into what it is today?
Ola Wikström (OW): Inspired by my mother I've been doing collages for as long as I can remember, back in year 2000 it took a different turn when I started applying rules to my collages. Initially I made a calendar for 2001 using only square shaped bits from a monthly magazine that I got in the mail each month. For next years calendar I made a test(1# in my portfolio. .) using only small 1x1cm pieces and have stuck with that format since. I do feel that I've only started to scratch the surface with my 200+ works that I've done so far, I have lots of great ideas for my upcoming works that seems promicing. Regarding technique I use up to 10 different techniques and ways of taking control over the randomness.

OA: You take the small squares from old magazines, are there types of magazine that are better than others?
OW: A general rule is that the higher the quality of the paper and print the more I prefer a magazine. Having said that, my choices vary, I sometimes prefer a older magazine with less quality for a certain work, if I want the cheap look, and of course, the texture, pattern, color of the images in the magazines are key. I do love the face that I never stop creating, whenever I see a magazine, I look through it for nice colors and patterns to use. And often it ends with me taring out a few pages to bring home with me.

In terms of what magazines I use, I do love VOGUE, preferably the Russian version due to it's richness in fur-advertising and other weird stuff that you don't find in western magazines, I like wallpaper magazine, good paper quality and print quality, and a magazine called V, I remember they had a cover with fluorescent print, and I used that to create a hidden feature in my work #168(shrine)(pictured above). which is only visible at night.

OA: Do you plan out your pieces before you start applying the squares?
OW: Yes. I tend to do the math and blueprint of the piece once I decided what colors and patterns to use. So if you'd x-ray one of my works you'll see all the directions, calculations and thoughts behind it, behind it so to speak. However, there is always room for creative choices while applying the squares. I just love the fringe land between creative choices and random chance.

OA: When you look at an image in a magazine do you see how it could be rearranged?
OW: Yes I do, in the beginning I was often surprised that what appeared as a beautiful image turned out blend once I cut it up and the other way around, now I'm more accurate and know more what I'm looking for, what works and what doesn't, and as mentioned before, I just love flicking through a magazine looking for inspiration and new ideas for upcoming artworks.

OA: What is the art scene like in your area?
OW: In Stockholm, I think the art scene definitely is alive, some really great artists and some awesome galleries and museums, Can't really say that I'm a part of that scene though. I have some friends who are artists, but they are friends first of all, regardless of being artists. Apart from that, I try to on the internet, it's my own gallery for everyone to see, and I've gotten to know other artists, fans of my work from all around the world. These guys are awesome by the way, three Stockholm based artists that I admire: Carl Kliener http://www.carlkleiner.com/, Daniel Milton http://www.miltonart.se/ and Jesper Nyrén, http://www.jespernyren.com/landscapes.html

OA: What's next for you?
OW: Up next I'm having an exhibition during the summer of 2010, so I have to finish my artworks for that one, and I also hope to reach 200 artworks of my 10x10cm small works, so I can have the exhibition for them, promised myself that I won't sell them until I've done 200 of them and displayed them together on one huge wall. I'm also hoping to do some co-exhibitions with people I like and perhaps some collaborations, would love to collaborate with a photographer, delivering great images for me to slice up. That might stay as a dream though, in some ways, I'm the photographers nemesis, the way I cut their photos to bits. Unless they see it as I'm like a remix-artist or similar. Well, you see, possibilities are endless for 2010.

Bonus Questions:
OA: If you could sit down to coffee when anyone (alive or dead) who would it be?
OW: Up next I'm having an exhibition during the summer of 2010, so I have to finish my artworks for that one, and I also hope to reach 200 artworks of my 10x10cm small works, so I can have the exhibition for them, promised myself that I won't sell them until I've done 200 of them and displayed them together on one huge wall. I'm also hoping to do some co-exhibitions with people I like and perhaps some collaborations, would love to collaborate with a photographer, delivering great images for me to slice up. That might stay as a dream though, in some ways, I'm the photographers nemesis, the way I cut their photos to bits. Unless they see it as I'm like a remix-artist or similar. Well, you see, possibilities are endless for 2010.

OA: What type of music do you enjoy and who are a few of your favorites?
OW: I'm passionate about music and I listen to music all the time, favourites if you ask me today would be Beirut, Slowdive, Sigur Ros, Loney Dear and Olafur Arnalds. All of them make perfectly beautiful music to keep one warm during the winter.

For more information on Ola Wikstrom please visit his website.