Andre Bergamin

call

Based in the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre, André Bergamin turns images found in vintage magazines into surreal, abstract illustrations in his own unique style. Old textures and printing techniques set the tone as he cuts and pastes his compositions, adding bright areas of colour for outcomes that delight his editorial and cultural sector clients.

An eclectic variety of artists have influenced André’s work including Max Ernst, Magritte, Cicero Dias and Alfredo Volpi. His interest lies in creating new images from old and overlooked ones, kidnapping objects and putting them into an entirely new context. He started doing so after working in advertising, developing his skill to focus on the rhythm and motion of each piece as much as what it represents. André studied advertising at both degree and postgraduate levels.

Approach

Selecting images from his huge collection of old magazines, André looks for interesting objects and forms that can go into his illustration. He cuts them out by hand, stores them for a day or two then begins pasting them together to create a surreal composition where curves, angles and colours govern its flow.

Style

André plays with juxtaposition and context in fascinating ways. There are layered meanings in his montages, which draw together dark concepts, striking colours and violent sense of movement. The effect can be quite haunting.