Today we’d like to introduce you to David Krovblit. They and their team shared their story with us below:
David Krovblit is a Canadian visual artist based in Southern California. He studied photography at Ryerson University in Toronto and worked professionally as an award-winning commercial photographer for nearly two decades, then traded in his illustrious career in the ad world to pursue his art career.
Specializing in analog collage, Krovblit borrows imagery from vintage books and magazines to build contemporary collages that are rooted in pop and historical pop culture. His multiple layers explore nature, life and death, science fiction, mythology, consumerism, and consumption. Referencing 19th-century botanicals, vintage medical anatomy, pop surrealism, pulp, and retro-futurism, he likes to describe his collage process as “curating images lost in time”.
Krovblit’s ever-evolving techniques combine traditional and new methods. He favors a digital-analog process that begins in Photoshop, where he conceptualizes a blueprint that serves as a roadmap to create scalable, hand-cut collages. The individual layers are printed (preferably large), cut by hand, re-assembled, and adhered to custom-built, hand-painted birch panels that are sealed with resin.
Krovblit experiments with mixed media in his collages – adding glitter, gold leaf, relief effects, real objects, pastels, oil paint, lighting elements, and multiple layers of resin. These engineered and freely applied elements enhance and add dimension to the initial digital design, resulting in a completely new version at the analog stage. In turn, the initial design (digital) can generate multiple, fresh versions of a piece within a series.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My grenade sculptures (porcelain, bronze so far) have definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone. Even though there were easier methods, my objective was to use the tools of the day to develop a more modern process of my own. For instance, instead of using clay (traditional for sculpture), I had a 3D model made and printed, which caused me to grow, since it involves using team members as part of the fabrication process.
Also, some of my mixed media collage pieces involving relief and multiple of resin and gold leaf i.e. 5’x8′ “Lost Moon”. I had to think about its overall construction, longevity, weight, considerations for installation, and durability. I realized that sometimes your work pushes you out of the realm of being an artist – you become a fabricator; an engineer, in order to realize the envisioned pieces.
3D collages (such as “Three Little Birds”) have come in many iterations in that I am always experimenting with new ways for original outcomes in that space and not be limited by traditional methods. Again, I have to re-think the fabrication in order to realize the final piece. It’s a challenge that comes with obstacles and failed attempts. And, once you get it right, it feels amazing.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
A main theme of my work is capitalizing on the beauty that already exists in the world in order to tell a new story using old botanical images (often the first time they were ever printed).
More themes in my work are: environment, consumerism, consumption, human condition, using symbolism, allegory, cautionary tales, mythological and theological tales, sci-fi, inner beauty as expressed as outer beauty, humanism, retro-futurism, technology, progress, evolution, fate charging towards the singularity and ultimately becoming immortal/god-like beings, time travel, space, making fun/pointing fingers at large corporate entities to make light human’s place as consumers.
I like to convey a sense of fun and humor. I am drawn to bright, saturated colors that generate a happy response.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
When I was 12 years old, my mother showed me a book of Salvador Dali paintings and my mind exploded! The surreal and allegorical imagery spoke to me and sparked so many ideas at a young age. I became an instant fan. His work has definitely stayed with me throughout my life, and I believe was a major influence for me to pursue art as my life’s work.
There is an incredible photo of Dali painting and a cat flying simultaneously flying through the air that inspired me to at first pursue photography. The image is called ‘Dali Atomicus’, shot by Philippe Halsman (1948). I was taken by it, being pre-photoshop, and that it took 26 attempts to pull off the picture of a levitating Dali, three cats flying through the air, and more – the analog compositing aspects were incredible.
I would say that my process over time has one consistency that defines it: working in layers. This began in the darkroom with experimental techniques, moving into digital space and blossoming in the commercial realm. I incorporated experimental techniques in the darkroom: etching, double exposures, layering of multiple layers, colorizing, mixed media overprints including pencil, pastel, and oils – and still do in a lot of my work.
Pricing:
- 12×1.5″ Original Hand-cut Collage $1,850
- 24x24x3″ Original Hand-cut Collage $5,000
- 36x36x3″ Original Hand-cut Collage $9,500
- 12×12″ Limited Edition Archival Prints $600
- 24×24″ Limited Edition Archival Prints $1,000
Contact Info:
- Website: www.krovblit.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/krovblit1
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/dave.krovblit
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-krovblit-51633110
- Twitter: https://x.com/davekrovblit
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@dkrovblit
- Other: https://www.niftygateway.com/@krovblit/collections
Image Credits
Henem Lee @henem.p
