Maxwell Volkman an artist whose work has intrigued me for some time, from his eye-peeling style layered through collage. Maxwell Volkman dares to juxtapose recurring traumas within society while simultaneously introducing recognizable media personas to instantly invoke emotional release, inviting viewers to further question his narrative.
How did your academic journey, from receiving your BFA in Studio Art to obtaining an MFA in Painting & Drawing, influence your artistic approach?
It gave me the time to focus on making things for the most part. When I was a little over halfway through getting my BFA at Central Washington University I decided I wanted to go to grad school for painting & drawing and started making things all the time. I would make small collages pretty much endlessly, I didn’t do much besides work in the shared studio at the school. Those collages ended up being the works that got me into the SAIC Painting & Drawing program while I was still finishing my BFA. I received my BFA in 2019 moved to Chicago and started an MFA at SAIC that same summer. I learned a lot while in grad school, it helped me figure out who I am as an artist. I have also met a lot of awesome people through getting my MFA, and being around other artists in a new location was a great experience. It inspired me to work in the studio as much as I can.
Your primary medium consists of collage paintings, what other artistic mediums do you engage with during your creative process?
I engage with photography, video, film, and music while I’m working pretty consistently. I source most of the images that I use from the internet, so I’m looking at “photography” all the time. I sometimes have something in mind and search for something sort of specific, other times I’m looking for something more ambiguous or open, I’ll go digging sometimes and sometimes I pull images that are the first ones I see on a Google search. I think the accessibility of the source material is important.
There are things that are somewhat easy to find, have a story, or are meaningful beyond the appearance of the image, along with others that are more ambiguous and are used more for what they describe as an image vs. exactly who or what they contain. I watch movies and videos a lot and when I see something I could use then I’ll take a screenshot. I’ve been making some drawings recently that I’m excited about too.
acrylic, inkjet prints, uv varnish, cut paper, colored pencil, shooting targets, and grommets on paper
66 x 60 inches
2023
Courtesy Of Maxwell Volkman
I’ve noticed you tend to use images and characters from horror movies in your work. How would you describe the impact and significance of incorporating such imagery into your art?
I have always been interested in horror and thriller as a genre. I always like that a good thriller or horror can make me have a visceral reaction. I like how horror films portray mental illness, class, religion, amongst other things. Think of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre for example, it is a movie that made people afraid of rural America and the people that populated those areas.
A poor inbred cannibal family out in the middle of nowhere. Horror can be funny, a lot of the over-the-top slasher and gore horror movies are funny. Dark humor is important too, not to say the subjects are “funny” it is the absurdity that is funny. Movies like Terrifier make me laugh because of how insane the gore is. You have to laugh because it is so uncomfortable. Horror is a way that people cope with anxiety, fear, and trauma.
Previously you’ve expressed a desire to feel uncomfortable or vulnerable while creating art. How do you believe this discomfort adds to your creative process, and how does it manifest in your work?
Yes, I tend to push myself into the unknown or uncomfortable. I need to have a connection with what I’m working on and in the end, it needs to be something that makes me feel vulnerable. I choose images and references that trigger me in a way, I connect with them in a personal way, so the discomfort and vulnerability is a cathartic process.
In the end, the work becomes something that is uncomfortable and makes the viewer question their position when viewing the object. My approach to feeling this way while working takes many forms, through new techniques or materials, or through image choice or what is being represented. It is important to take risks and not let outside influences and opinions stop me from creating freely and with honesty.
Maxwell, in discussing the use of images related to serial killers and mass shooters, my understanding is that you aim to not glorify but to expose collective traumas. How do you believe your art contributes to understanding and healing these traumas?
Yes, my work serves as a process for healing, it helps me understand myself and the world around me, although my work may make some people feel uncomfortable, it offers a middle ground where the viewer can contemplate their experience, position, and how they are connected to these traumas. I have used images of “serial killers” and “mass shooters” in a few works. Most of the work that includes recognizable figures usually includes people who have complicated and nuanced histories that often include some sort of tragedy, although the specificity of the figures themselves are important and intentional, they are not at the forefront of my work, they act as stand-ins for people, thoughts, emotions, etc.
Recognizable people whose images I have used who are not serial killers and mass shooters are Amanda Bynes, Jane from Breaking Bad, Heath Ledger, Brittany Murphy, and Genie the Feral Child, to name a few. When I used an image of Dylan Klebold, in a work titled Bad Acid, his image has red paint dripping from his neck as if it has been slit, the red then drips down, partially covering an image of a girl who was in class during an active shooter drill. The girl has her arms extended forward pretending to aim a gun with her fingers. I don’t see how that could be seen as “glorifying” unless you are hypersensitive and unable to comprehend nuance. Just because something is depicted does not mean it is an endorsement.
This is a different question than the rest but Ronald McDonald, Captain Spaulding or Pennywise?
Ronald McDonald. I remember sitting on the bench next to the Ronald McDonald statue at the McDonald’s in my hometown when I was a kid.
Any new projects to keep an eye out for?
Yeah, I have a solo show at Spas Setun in Moscow, Russia coming up this year. I’ve been working on the show for a while now and I’m excited about it. I’m also in a group show coming up soon at Espace Maurice in Montreal, Canada alongside some good company.
