Trey Wright's cut out aesthetic.

“I start by quickly flipping through a magazine and choosing the pieces that catch my eye because of the sources use of color, shape or pattern. I find this method of working very much in tune with how images are experienced now, through feeds and message boards—collected and stored away but without much thought to the subject matter, original intent of the author or the nostalgia normally associated with saving photographs. I’m interested in this process of collecting imagery and using photographs of goods links my work back to the idea of collecting and coveting physical objects—but instead it’s the image.

The next step of my process involves arranging these pieces for presentation. The pieces are propped with glue, paperclips, string, and other dollar store ephemera until the finished arrangement resembles a kind of altarpiece or advertisement. A certain amount of humor is injected into these finished pieces, images of objects that normally hold value morph into something without value, they become flimsy, falling apart and curling at the edges. And a part of the fun is that the images are beautiful to look at and richly colored. I do this partially because I want people to slow down and look while at the same time highlighting a funny kind of consumption/relationship we have with images.

Finally, the pieces are re-photographed. Keeping the images a flat photograph retains a certain amount of distance, a distance that is a major part of how we perceive the world.”

It wasn’t so long ago that I first encountered Trey Wright‘s work in one of the earlier issues of Bullett Magazine. Based in Dallas, Texas, Wright has quickly gathered a lot of attention for his playful still life photographs. Wright has been featured in numerous exhibitions, including one curated by our idol, Matthew Leifheit for CCNY last year. Wright is also one of the winner of the 2013 Hey Hot Shot! competition that is organized by famed Jen Bekman.

Wright cuts out and collages both original and re-appropriated images to make his photos. Focusing mostly in fashion based imagery, Wright’s specialization allowed him to visualize an aesthetic that is immediately recognizable. Wright’s work has consistently become more polished as he continues to hone down on his personal style, and we are excited to see what he comes up next.