⚡️Upcoming Exhibition - Frankenstein Re-imagined: A Collage Exhibition - Thursday April 3rd at 6pm (PDT) - San Francisco Public Library, 100 Larkin Street ,San Francisco, USA⚡️

⚡️Upcoming Exhibition - ‘Frankenstein Re-Imagined: A Collage Exhibition '⚡️
Opening on Thursday, April 3rd at 6.00pm (PDT).
San Francisco Public Library,
Main Library - Arts, Music & Recreation Department,
4th Floor 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102,
USA.
Exhibition runs through Monday, June 30th 2025. All Welcome.

I am delighted to be taking part in this upcoming exhibition at the beautiful San Francisco Public Library and its associated artists talk. Experience Mary Shelley's timeless masterpiece through the lens of contemporary collage artists. Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus is re-imagined in this exhibition, where literature and art converge to explore its enduring themes.

Free community collage tables will also be open to members of the public for the duration of April.

"Collage artists, with their unique ability to transcend scale, place, and history, are well-suited to giving us pictures that bring vintage texts into the contemporary moment." — Ric Kasini Kadour, Kolaj Institute Director.

⚡️⚡️ITS ALIVE⚡️⚡️
Artists interpret Shelley's novel in the context of today’s world, addressing:

⚡️Science and artificial intelligence: Echoing Shelley's cautionary tale, artists reflect on the ethical dilemmas of unchecked technological advancement.

⚡️Queerness and intersectional identities: The monster’s isolation becomes a metaphor for marginalization, offering a lens on contemporary social dynamics.

⚡️Narcissism and modern relationships: Victor Frankenstein’s self-absorption provides a framework for examining personal and societal disconnection.

This exhibition invites viewers to engage with Frankenstein in a new light, where past and present collide in striking visual form.

Featured Creatures Include:

Claire Dannenbaum (Eugene, Oregon, USA) | Emily Denlinger (Cape Girardeau, Missouri, USA) | Suzanne Greenberg (New York, New York, USA) | David Edward Johnson (Skaneateles, New York, USA) | Marta Janik (Warsaw, Poland) | Anthony D Kelly (Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland) | Maureen Letton (San Francisco, California, USA) | Anissa Malady (San Francisco, California, USA) | Rebecca Steiner (Lyme, Connecticut, USA) | Jessica TranVo (Boston, Massachusetts, USA) | Anthony Naimo (Spruce Pine, North Carolina, USA) | Elzbieta Zdunek (Berlin, Germany)

⚡️Related Event: Presentation: Frankenstein in Collage Illustration - Artists' Perspectives--Sat., April 19th, 10 a.m. (PDT) , Virtual Library. For details Click Here.
⚡️Opening Reception: Thursday, April 3, 2025 (part of SF First Thursday Art Walk)
⚡️To purchase a copy of this magnificent book simply Click Here.

Image Credit: Frankenstein Re-imagined: A Collage Exhibition - David Edward Johnson.
With a very special thanks to organiser Anissa Malady and Maureen Letton for all your work on the ground.

⚡️✂️KOLAJ LIVE ONLINE: Frankenstein Book Launch - Saturday, December 7, 2024, 6-9PM GMT✂️⚡️

⚡️KOLAJ LIVE ONLINE: Frankenstein Book Launch - Saturday December 7, 2024, 6-9PM GMT⚡️

A cohort of international collage artists worked together to illustrate Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's classic 19th century novel Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus with the 21st century reader in mind. Artists created illustrations that connected Shelley's text to contemporary issues. Artists explored the role of science and artificial intelligence, queerness, intersectional identities, narcissism, and modern relationships. Seventy-six illustrations appear in a new publication of the novel and in a folio of twenty-four prints available for purchase and as a traveling exhibition. In this Kolaj LIVE Online, project art director Christopher Kurts will speak about the project and interview artists who contributed to it. "Shelley's timelessness is proven by our ability to use her novel to reflect on our world today," said Kolaj Institute Director Ric Kasini Kadour. "Collage artists, with their unique ability to transcend scale, place, and history, are well-suited to giving us pictures that bring vintage texts into the contemporary moment."

Featured creatures include:
Claire Dannenbaum (Eugene, Oregon, USA); Emily Denlinger (Cape Girardeau, Missouri, USA); Suzanne Greenberg (New York, New York, USA); David Edward Johnson (Skaneateles, New York, USA); Marta Janik (Warsaw, Poland); Anthony D Kelly (Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland); Maureen Letton (San Francisco, California, USA); Rosie Lewis (York, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom); Anissa Malady (San Francisco, California, USA); Rebecca Steiner (Lyme, Connecticut, USA); Jessica TranVo (Boston, Massachusetts, USA); Anthony Naimo (Spruce Pine, North Carolina, USA); Elzbieta Zdunek (Berlin, Germany)

ABOUT KOLAJ LIVE ONLINE

Kolaj LIVE Online is a series of virtual programs in the form of forums, panels, workshops, artist talks, studio visits, and other activities that allow people to come together, learn and talk about collage, and connect in real time to the collage community. Our goal is to bring the community together in a spirit of mutual support and fellowship.Kolaj LIVE Online manifests Kolaj Magazine and Kolaj Institute by bringing together artists, curators, and writers to share ideas that deepen our understanding of collage as a medium, a genre, a community, and a 21st century movement. Learn more at the SERIES WEBSITE.

ADMISSION TO THIS EVENT IS FREE - REGISTER HERE
To purchase a copy of this magnificent book simply Click Here.

⚡️✒️ ITS ALIVE: Mary Shelly's Frankenstein: Kolaj Edition ✒️⚡️

⚡️✂️ Featured Artist in Mary Shelly's Frankenstein: Kolaj Edition✂️⚡️
⚡️⚡️!!!!!ITS ALIVE!!!⚡️⚡️

In the Autumn of 2023, I had the real pleasure of teaming up with a whole crew of creaturely collaborators to illustrate a new version of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein. It was macabre delight to work with these monsters on dissecting Mary Shelly’s seminal work of proto-sciencefiction. It was an amazing process to spend time thinking about and drawing out the colourful, magical and fearful imagery within. I had a lot of fun working on the illustrations in this version with our ghastly group, including my dear friend and regular collaborator Marta Janik.

I am delighted to announce that the book is now ready for release!

See more from the publishers below:
”This new version of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's classic 19th century novel Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus features seventy-six illustrations by International Collage Artists who delved into the novel's rich narrative and visual potential and created thought-provoking artworks that reflect the essence of Frankenstein in a 21st century context. “Frankenstein,” writes artist David Edward Johnson, “The name alone conjures a lightning storm of images. From corpses, unholy and unearthed, to gothic laboratories, alive with galvanic impulse, to personal loss, longing, and anger. Shelley’s 1818 masterwork is locked in our collective unconscious like a fever dream. Since childhood, I have been in love with its silent shudders and moss-covered 19th-century tableaus.” Artists created illustrations that connected Shelley's text to contemporary issues. Artists explored the role of science and artificial intelligence, queerness, intersectional identities, narcissism, and modern relationships. "Shelley's timelessness is proven by our ability to use her novel to reflect on our world today," said Kolaj Institute Director Ric Kasini Kadour. "Collage artists, with their unique ability to transcend scale, place, and history, are well-suited to giving us pictures that bring vintage texts into the contemporary moment."“

Participating creatures include:
Claire Dannenbaum (Eugene, Oregon, USA); Emily Denlinger (Cape Girardeau, Missouri, USA); Suzanne Greenberg (New York, New York, USA); David Edward Johnson (Skaneateles, New York, USA); Marta Janik (Warsaw, Poland); Anthony D Kelly (Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland); Maureen Letton (San Francisco, California, USA); Rosie Lewis (York, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom); Anissa Malady (San Francisco, California, USA); Rebecca Steiner (Lyme, Connecticut, USA); Jessica TranVo (Boston, Massachusetts, USA); Anthony Naimo (Spruce Pine, North Carolina, USA); Elzbieta Zdunek (Berlin, Germany)

To purchase a copy of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein: Kolaj Edition simply CLICK HERE.
To find out more about this project and the overarching Collage and Illustration program CLICK HERE.

Cover Image: “Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus” (2023) - David Edward Johnson