This week I think I'll feature some very textural collage artists--the first being Thibault Sandret, with his warm, sultry, and of course glamourous pieces. I love the layering in these collages, and how they all have a blush/rose tone to them, yet the materials he uses toughen up the look a bit (glam trash pop is a perfectly apt name)!

Thibault Sandret
www.glamtrashpop.com
I come from Paris but live and work in London

Describe your work in 10 words or less.

Glam Trash Pop celebrates sex appeal and counterculture icons.

What do you like to work with (magazines, photographs, vintage)? Be specific!

My own photographs, vintage and contemporary fashion magazines, objects found in the streets (stickers, torn posters, etc.) or flea markets around the world, images found online, tracing paper, spray paint, correction fluid, etc.

How long have you been creating collages and what made you start?

It's my interest in aesthetic philosophy that initially sparked my curiosity for contemporary art. I decided to become an artist after seeing a décollage by Mimmo Rotella. About two years later, in 2004, I had my first show in Paris. And once you Glam Trash Pop, you can't stop!

Are you solely an artist, or do you work in another profession?

I work in finance!

Do you have any formal art training?

None whatsoever, which forces me to be twice as creative...

Explain your favourite techniques.

My urge to start working on a collage is often triggered by the sex appeal of a fashion photograph or illustration. The first step is to find about a dozen other images that are in harmony with both my mood and the aesthetic qualities of the initial image. At this point, and usually until late in the process, I don't have the slightest idea what the final result is going to be. After each step, I stand back and ask myself what the next step should be. Sometimes, it all comes together in just a few minutes. Sometimes, on the contrary, it looks like a hopeless mess after long, arduous hours. Paradoxically enough, I've learned to cherish these desperate moments because they're incredibly fertile, in the sense that you have no choice but to push your limits and think outside the box. I know I've finished a piece when I feel there's nothing I could add or take away that would make it look better to me.

Describe your favourite piece ever created.

The next one. That's how I push myself...

What other artists do you admire?

Robert Rauschenberg, Cy Twombly, Albert Oehlen, Yoshitomo Nara, Douglas Kolk, SFAUSTINA, Faile, My Dead Pony, Ogi...

Thanks Thibault!