Pepito COLLAGE

PEPITO collages are the result of collaboration (started in 1997) between two artists who had worked together between 1979 and 1986. Since 1987, the two artist friends have lived more than 200 miles apart - one in West Sussex, the other in Somerset.

A PEPITO artwork is started by one of the artist friends, who then posts the initial work onto the other artist, who receives and interacts with it. The artwork is then sent back and forth in the post between the two artists who incrementally add and/or subtract material from the piece until a time when one or the other artist retains the work.... and the process stops.

Occasionally more may be added to individual works years later and a process of re-engagement begins.

Apart from an agreement to work on A4 sized card (easy to source, handle, post and store), there were no other conditions set as to the frequency of exchanges, quantity of works to be worked on or any technical or stylistic parameters as to how works might evolve. The process was a kind of visual correspondence... an interesting way of keeping in touch.

Often, works acquire a ‘working title’ at each stage of the sending process – these titles appear to add an extra dimension to the visual narrative of each work.

PEPITO artworks often reference the imagery of other cultures, art, artists, the media and music. The character of PEPITO work suggests pathos, humour and enigma.

PEPITO artworks relate to the Mail Art genre. The collages are made in a spirit akin to aspects of Pop Art, Dadaism and Surrealism... and particular artists such as Ray Johnson, Eduardo Paolozzi, Kurt Schwitters, Peter Blake, Marcel Duchamp and Richard Hamilton.

The PEPITO Name

The very first artwork included collaged elements from a French biscuit wrapper picturing a Mexican character called ‘Pepito’. Sometime later it was agreed that ‘Pepito’ had given birth to what was becoming quite a collection of correspondence and the work took its Pepito name – PEPITO is the artist.

View my website http://www.flickr.com/photos/pepitocollage/