John Stezaker

John Stezaker is a British artist known for his distinctive approach to collage and manipulation of appropriated imagery, most notably historic Hollywood film stills, actor's head shots and postcards. In 2012, he became the first non-photographer to win the Deutsche Börse Photo Prize, with a practice defined by cutting, splicing, and juxtaposing found photographs to create what he describes as “apertures into another world.”

In Episode 04 of Reely and Truly, filmmaker George Baggaley visits Stezaker at his home in London and studio in St Leonards-on-Sea. As he prepares for a string of upcoming exhibitions, Stezaker creates new bodies of work, reflects on his long career, the power of absence in collage in a culture overwhelmed by imagery and his mission to recapture the lost “magic power” of images.

R&T S1 E4

Last month, filmmaker Jim Jarmusch took center stage at Paris Photo to highlight his lesser-known practice as an avid photographer and photo collage artist. As a guest speaker, he curated a selection of photographs for the fair to mark the centenary of surrealism, drawing attention to one of the movement’s most iconic techniques: photocollage. His curated works included photomontages by Carmen Calvo and Deborah Turbeville, and he also hosted a signing for his recent monograph of collages, 

Photocollage and the use of found imagery have experienced a resurgence, with prominent galleries hosting exhibitions spotlighting artists who continue to innovate with the technique.

To delve deeper into this renewed interest - and to coincide with Episode 04 of 

, which features renowned photocollage artist John Stezaker - we’ve listed some must-see exhibitions exploring this method of image-making.

Linder Sterling: Danger Came Smiling, The Hayward Gallery, London

Linder Sterling, a pioneering figure in the punk and post-punk movements, has long used photocollage as her primary mode of expression. Rising to prominence in the late 1970s, Sterling’s work became synonymous with the cultural rebellion of the era. Her iconic 1977 artwork for the Buzzcocks’ 

 single—featuring a female torso adorned with an iron for a head and mouths for nipples—epitomized her sharp critique of consumerism and gender norms. Over decades, Sterling has continued to use collage to confront societal taboos, particularly around sexuality and the female body.

Sterling’s upcoming retrospective at the Hayward Gallery will look back on her 50-year career, including an array of her iconic photomontages alongside previously unseen works and new commissions.


Deborah Turbeville: Photocollage, The Photographers Gallery, London

09.10.24 - 23.02.25

The Photographers Gallery pays homage to Turbeville's trailblazing photographic explorations, from fashion photos to her very personal work. The exhibition reveals Turbeville's highly personal artistic universe, which has been credited with transforming fashion imagery into avant-garde art.

She experimented with the developing process, from the darkroom to the studio table. She ripped, cut and tore her photographs; manipulated, pinned and glued them together to create unique hybrid objects. Deborah Turbeville: Photocollage is a new appreciation of Turbeville's ground-breaking contribution to the history of photography.


Martha Rosler and Nancy Buchanan: Entropy, Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles

14.12.24 - 11.01.24

Buchanan and Rosler both work across several mediums yet maintain political engagement at the core of their practice, utilizing video, photography, sculpture, painting, and performance to highlight injustice and inequality throughout their bodies of work. The two artists connected in California in the early 1970s, recognizing in one another a distinct multidisciplinary approach to political artmaking and commitment to feminism. The exhibition includes works from two of Rosler’s major series – The Rewards of Money and Off the Shelf – alongside collage works, paintings, and drawings by Buchanan. In these works, both Buchanan and Rosler probe the decaying center of late-stage capitalism and the failed promise of the American dream.


Sara Cwynar: Baby Blue Benzo, 52 Walker, New York

 explores the intersections of photography, artifice, and contemporary life through a collage-like assembly of archival and found materials. Using found images, AI-generated visuals, and new video footage, Cwynar weaves a dense narrative that reflects on how images shape perception and productivity in the modern era. Central to the work are recurring motifs like a replica of the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR and the color baby blue, which connect luxury, consumerism, and personal struggles like insomnia.



Watch Episode 04 of Reely and Truly on John Stezaker 

The Photocollage Exhibition Guide

Book #011 in the '6x4 Photobook Series' is 'Liverpool 1986' by Chris Shaw.

These books are designed, assembled and bound in-house, with images printed in the 6x4 mini-lab format. This method allows us to produce high-quality books ourselves in small runs. All books are signed and editioned by the artist.

NB: Only a limited amount of these books are available online, they will predominantly be sold at book fairs DoBeDo Projects takes part in. Follow 

Size: 27 x 20.8cm
No. of Pages: 29
Edition No: 50
Print Type: Digital print on uncoated white stock
Publisher: DoBeDo, 2024

'Liverpool 1986' by Chris Shaw

DoBeDo's new collection kicks off with the 2025 calendar, where thirteen contributors reflect on their personal relationships with photography through an image submission and a short written entry.

The calendar features documentation of well-loved cameras, scans of darkroom sketchbooks, early photographs, and more. At the end of the year, detach the diary pages and the calendar transforms into a photobook to keep in your library.

Contributors include Will Robson-Scott, Abdulhamid Kircher, Jack Davison, Guy Bolongaro, Justin Quinnell, Nadia Lee Cohen, Motoyuki Daifu, Thomas Mailaender, Johny Pitts, Alessandra Sanguinetti, Nick Haymes, Frank Lebon and Marton Perlaki

Photo Nerds Photobook Calendar

Protective padded-felt wrap for lenses, cameras and accessories. Available in three sizes, each with velcro closures, and a window for labelling.

Illustration by Daniel David Freeman
Designed in London
Made in China
Materials: Outer Fabric - Polyester, Inner Fabric - Nylon
Dimensions: Small / Pink (29cm x 29cm) Medium / Green (38cm x 38cm) Large / Blue (46cm x 46cm)

Size

Lens & Camera Wrap

The ‘Photo Freak’ is stolen by the scene before him as his eyes are sucked through the camera’s viewfinder.


Sculpture and graphics by Ethan Smith
Image by DoBeDo Projects
Designed and Printed in London
Cut and Sewn in Portugal
Materials: 100% cotton