Collin Margerum

Each piece starts as a preliminary sketch focusing on composition, figure, and light. From there, the obsessive journey truly begins as I gather reference material from a plethora of sources that range from old family photo albums to staged photo shoots with costume, make-up, and production lighting. The source material is then rigorously combed through and examined. Often, the still imagery I collect help form drawings that are meticulous narrative documents of predominantly subversive and subservient characters thrust into an ominous environment. These drawings weave together history, mythology, and enigmatic symbolism to depict situations where the actual event has yet to take place or has just ended: moments evocative of atmosphere and suspense that are part of a greater narrative. I use charcoal pencils of varying densities and soft pastels on hot-press archival paper as my medium and employ a tedious and controlled technique to create intense, dramatic, and sometimes humorous artworks that allude to the work of American realist artists. I use my cinematic sensibilities to combine genre and realism set in a distinct period to form an allegorical account, rich in subtext and characterization, all in an effort to create a resonant dialogue with the viewer.