Gordon's work is unique and provocative—biceps, breasts, and permutations of shapes all play into his work. His work is precise and organized, and he considers it something different from collage. Instead of combining different images or pieces, he alters one image with cut out shapes. It's great work, and I've included the less sexy bits here.
Name (Real or Screename): Gordon Magnin
URL (Blog or Website): www.gordonmagnin.com
Location (Where are you from?): Born, Reno, NV, currently live and work in Los Angeles
Q: Describe your work in 10 words or less.
A: Precise, intricate, geometric, destruction.
Q: What do you like to work with (magazines, photographs, vintage)? Be specific!
A: Magazines: fashion, bodybuilding, porn, catalogues, I like to work
with portraits/faces and pictures of the body.
Q: How long have you been creating collages and what made you start?
A: I don't really categorize my work as collage. Most of the work I
would describe as altered found image, the work isn't created through
an additive process as is the case with traditional collage, but
through the transformation of a single image.
What first got me thinking about collage was a studio assignment in
grad school; we started a design project through collage eventually
leading to the design of a bridge. I really took to the process and
technique. I didn't think much of it at the time, but a couple years
later I picked up some magazines and started experimenting again.
Q: Are you solely an artist, or do you work in another profession?
A: I'm currently working for an architect.
Q: Do you have any formal art training?
A: I have a BS in structural engineering and a master's degree from
the southern California institute of architecture (SCI_arc). Last
fall, I attended the mountain school of arts (MSA^) which is an art
school but has no studio component, it consists of lectures and
discussion. I would say that I am primarily self taught.
Q: Explain your favourite techniques.
A: I like to alter a single images by performing precise geometric cuts and operations. Recently I have been thinking of this process as manual computer scripting to modify, destroy and distort these found images.
Q: Describe your favourite piece ever created.
A: Any piece that makes me laugh.
Q: What other artists do you admire?
A: Marcel Duchamp, Tom Friedman, Damien Hirst, Nick Van Woert,
Francis Bacon, Wangechi Mutu, Mathew Barney, Chris Burden, Tom Sachs,
Porous Walker, Gordon Matta Clark, Le Corbusier, Coop Himmelb(l)au,
Eric Owen Moss, Bruce Nauman, Amie Dicke, Paul Mccarthy, Barry McGee,
Carlos Scarpa, Frank Lloyd Wright, Tim Hawkinson, Louis Kahn.
Thanks Gordon!