Cut and paste: Her collages are providing perspective in a crisis

Chaos is Julia Grey’s muse. The artist sees the potential for beauty everywhere, even in the midst of a pandemic. Following a global lockdown, the South African government enforced stringent regulations. The resultant picture was absurd: people bulk buying two-ply toilet paper, and wayward joggers and surfers placed in handcuffs. But Grey is cutting humour from the havoc to create meaningful collages that bring us closer. 

Grey has mastered the art of hotchpotch, and her studio shows it. Inside the artist’s Cape Town residence, colourful fabrics drape from the walls, while an assortment of paints, vintage magazines, paper cut-outs, and cast-off objects huddle below. During her studies at the Michaelis School of Fine Art, Grey grew to love the expressionist quality of collage, assemblage, and mosaic. She began collecting discarded materials of no particular significance, binding them to create large-scale murals layered with meaning. Her satirical artworks encourage people to face painful truths. “Humour is one psychological tool that can be used to keep a healthy perspective of things and stay grounded,” Grey says. 

With disorder being her signature style, Grey set out to craft a message that looked on the bright side of lockdown. Juxtaposing typefaces and imagery, her pieces reflect the current socio-political landscape while providing comic relief and catharsis. The collages are not only helping uplift the spirits of her audience, but those in dire need of aid as well. Grey sells her creations on Instagram, and donates 25% of the profits to the disaster relief foundation Gift of the Givers. This series proves that art is not only a tool to capture historical moments in time, but to save lives as well. 

“I am taking snapshots of the things we’re experiencing,” Grey says. “Later on, we might be able to look back and get a sense of the journey we were all taking together.” Through her witty artworks, Grey reminds us that even in moments of great hardship, we can take a step back, look at the mess, and laugh.