John Stezaker

John Stezaker is one of the leading conceptual artists in modern photographic collage and appropriation. Using images sourced from books, magazines, and postcards as 'readymades,' Stezaker creates collages that reexamine the various relationships to the photographic image, questioning its roles as a documentation of truth, a purveyor of memory, and a symbol of modern culture.

Biography of John Stezaker

John Stezaker was born in 1949 in Worcester, UK. His artistic journey began with studies at the prestigious Slade School of Fine Art in London during the 1960s. Over the years, he has not only honed his craft but also shared his knowledge by teaching at institutions such as Central Saint Martins School of Art, Goldsmiths College, and the Royal College of Art.

In recognition of his remarkable contributions to the art world, John Stezaker was awarded the prestigious Deutsche Börse Photography Prize in September 2012. His impact extends far beyond his home country, as his works have been exhibited internationally since the 1990s and can be found in esteemed museums and public collections worldwide. These include the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Tate Modern in London, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Frans Hals Museum in the Netherlands, and the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.

Numerous solo exhibitions have celebrated Stezaker's artistic brilliance, with venues such as the National Portrait Gallery in London (2019), The Approach in London (2018), the City Gallery of Wellington in New Zealand (2017), Tel Aviv Museum of Art in Israel (2013), and the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University in St. Louis (2012).

Moreover, Stezaker's creations have been showcased in various group exhibitions around the world. These include prominent venues such as the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago (2019), Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam (2017), Simon Lee Gallery in Hong Kong (2016), Biennale of Sydney in Australia (2014), Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac in Paris (2012), New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York (2008), the Tate Triennial in London (2006), and the 40th Venice Biennale in 1982, among many others.

Currently, the artist resides in London.

John Stezaker's Art Style

The spirit of the surrealists is alive in John Stezaker's extraordinary photo collages. Employing the art of traditional photomontage, he masterfully combines inconceivable yet harmonious pictorial elements, echoing the essence of European avant-gardes from the early 20th century. His artistic prowess lies in his adept use of vintage photographs, old Hollywood film stills, travel postcards, and various printed materials to create fascinating small-format collages.

Through the old-fashioned approach of crafting collages by hand, John Stezaker's artwork unveils a quality that has seemingly faded away in the current computer-dominated age: the traces of manipulation and visual imperfections in the photographic image. With a surgeon's precision, the artist deftly excises, overlays, and fuses disparate images, giving birth to entirely new personalities, landscapes, and scenes.