Mister Koppa

Art is the evidence of creative activity.

The activity evidenced in my collages is an exercise in sorting, organizing, and composing. First, I select a few “sets” of images, each set from a specific source (all of which may or may not have any obvious relationship to one another). Then I challenge myself to create a series of related, aesthetically balanced, intriguing, and, at best, amusing compositions. The resulting collages include relationships between color, shape, line, perspective, scale, movement, and often the direction of a gaze. For some, a collage is simply fun to look at, but for those who like to make sense of things, these strange arrangements generate yet another creative challenge: interpretation. There are no wrong answers, nor are there any right answers.

I was born in Milwaukee (January 28, 1969, 5:30 a.m.) and enjoyed working in my family’s grocery store during my teenage years on Milwaukee’s East Side. After receiving a B.S. in Art from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1991, I returned to manage the grocery store throughout my 20s. The most important thing I learned at the grocery store, and in school, is that there are opportunities for creative arrangements everywhere we look. By taking time to compose these arrangements, we force ourselves to think creatively about relationships between things. The resulting composition is an artifact, and, whether temporary or permanent, can be an impetus for thoughtful amusement in the minds of those who witness it. I put this knowledge to practice in daily life—in my work and in my play—and it always seems to have a positive impact on the world around me. Creative behavior is contagious and fun. I can’t pinpoint how I caught it, but I hope I can give it to you.