Collages of John Evans

Every day, beginning in 1964, painter John Evans created a collage from found objects ranging from clippings, business cards, product stickers or labels, and ticket stubs to bits of ephemera or anonymous snapshots found on the streets of his East Village neighborhood. Using colored inks, he built upon and embellished the collage elements, creating lively, vibrant compositions. His astonishing work continued through the end of 2000, which seemed an appropriate date to stop. Apart from their beauty, Evans collages are mini-time capsules that mark the end of the Vietnam war, the fiscal crisis in New York City during the 1970's, the burgeoning economy, club scene and are market of the 1980's, and the AIDS crisis. They are also autobiographical with postcards, snapshots, and other connections to Evan's daily life. The 365 collages selected for this monograph, focusing on the 1970s through the 1990's, represent a year, but are drawn from different years. They illustrate the full range of Evans' mastery of his medium and attest to the artist's self discipline in adhering to the demanding regimen of creating a college every day. 365 color plates.