Operating from his studio in the north-east of England, Kingston University fashion design graduate Deane Hodgson’s eclectic body of work encompasses wall sculptures, analog collage and found poetry.
Under the guise of Mr What & Mrs Why, his analog collages involve experimenting with an endless array of found ephemera to create wildly varied works that embrace a diverse range of subject matter, from architecture and automobiles to animation and abstraction.
He enjoys nothing more than to root around second-hand shops and fairs for old, unloved photographs, books and magazines to breathe new life into, with any slight imperfections only serving to enhance the re-purposed nature.
Furthering his exploration of redeploying materials, his multi-layered geometric wall sculptures for The Artling primarily comprise discarded wood off-cuts from CNC machines. The recycled ethos, meanwhile, continues through the use of disposed-of paint samples and paste tables.
The unique relief compositions that emerge subtly experiment with both light and form, resulting in works rich with depth and pattern, while drawing comparisons to anything from the inner workings of industrial machinery to three-dimensional architectural models.
His work has been exhibited at such venues as London’s Modern Art Hire and Edinburgh’s Royal Scottish Academy, regularly purchased by collectors as far afield as Australia and America, and featured in such art publications as Black Collages Matter.