Kim Hamburg is an intuitive artist popularly known for her surrealist collages that transport viewers into a dream-like world filled with emotions that are both deeply personal and universally relatable. Through her art, she communicates with the world in a way that is at once intimate and engaging.
Her Victorian-skin collages are a compelling blend of vintage and contemporary elements, meticulously collected from her surroundings. From vintage book covers, advertisements, and magazine cutouts to found receipts and yearbooks, etc., she finds beauty in objects that have lived—that have a past, a history, and a soul.
These vintage materials are further juxtaposed with bold texts and graphics, intricate circular patterns, and textures, while marks and paint splashes made with tools and objects found in her house add a sense of whimsy to her work.
Kim’s work is rooted in a desire to tell stories that represent a quintessential female perspective. Her collages are a reflection of the joys and struggles of womanhood, capturing the essence of emotions that are often left unspoken. Each piece is a memento of emotions stitched together, a reflection of Kim’s personal journey that invites viewers to connect with her while stitching their own narratives.
What does mixed media art mean to you?
Long before I started making collages, I was making fancy cards that I sent to family and friends during the holidays. I would use rubber stamps, markers, stickers, yarn, paint, and more to decorate the front. One of my friends, upon seeing the card told me she loved my mixed media art and I had no idea what she was talking about. I googled it. It was then that I knew that what I was creating was considered mixed media because I used many different tools and mediums to create one piece of art. But for me, answering this question today I have to tell you that mixed media means absolute freedom to make whatever I want with whatever I have. It is limitless creativity on paper. There are no art rules when it comes to mixed media.
How long have you been a mixed media artist?
I have always been an artsy-crafty person. I grew up in a home where my father was head of the house and my job as a girl was to cook, clean, and babysit my sister. There were many rules in my house and one of them was that we didn’t buy anything unneccesary so if I wanted to create I had to look around and find what I could use. A stick became a paintbrush, an old sock was a sponge, I would use paper bags and cardboard for substrates. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t making something. It was during Covid lockdown, though, that I started making the mixed media collages that you see from me today. So in that sense I am relatively new to the art world and new to making art that others see as actual art.
How has art impacted or enhanced your life?
There is so much passion for me to create art that I do it every single day. I am so passionate that even when I’m not making art I’m thinking about art. I think it’s because I’ve only been making collages for a few years; I have all of this in my mind and it is like a volcano erupting with ideas. I create like this because it fulfills me emotionally and makes me happy. Through the art of creating I can share myself on paper in ways that I could never share in person. My children are all adults now so making art has become my full-time job. It has replaced those things I did as a stay-at-home Mom.
Tell us about your creative process.
My process is actually a very simple one. I surround myself with paper which I find in thrift stores, used book stores, and any other place I think I can find paper. I have been known to even jump in a dumpster to get a book or a roll of wallpaper. It is the vintage paper and the images that inspire me to start making a collage. I usually start with a paper filled background, then I add paint while I begin to make layers. This is the process. Paper, then paint, then anything else I have that I think will complete the creation. It is very intuitive. I let my emotions and feelings guide me as I work so I usually don’t know what my final collage will look like.
What inspires you?
Well, I’ve already talked about paper being inspirational and a starting point for me. But what really inspires me is junk. I’m not kidding — I love junk. I love going to thrift stores and estate sales and just rummaging around finding things. The odd bits of things I find spark my imagination and I will begin to get images in my mind of how I can use that to make art. I love finding something odd, something that you would not normally use, and incorporate it into my piece.
What do you do when faced with a creative block or rut?
I really don’t get blocked creatively because my mind is always filled with ideas. The way I work probably helps this because I have a lot of supplies in my house so there is always a new way to combine materials or a new way to get the paint onto the paper. I’m always thinking about that. But there are times when I want to get out of the house and refresh my brain and it is then that I go to a thrift store or a dollar store. Just walking through these places refill all of my creative ideas because there is so much to see and so many ways to use the odd things you find.
What are a few of the mixed media art supplies you find yourself returning to?
I love using kitchen tools as art tools. My favorite things are silicone spatulas, chopsticks, and butter knives. I use all of these to apply glue and/or paint, and to make marks on the paper. I also love paint, ink, and acrylic markers. I don’t think I could make the art I’m making without those. That is what makes it mixed media. I don’t use paper alone, I add lots of color and texture and I get that through the use of those. I also use my gelli plate to create painted papers that I will use in my work. The gelli plate allows me to put the paint on the paper in a printmaking way so the images are dense with design and texture.
Who are some of your favorite mixed media artists?
Right now my favorite MM artists are many that I follow on IG. I love Johanna Goodman’s collages because she creates playful figures that are proportionally wrong, but oh so right! I also love Jasper Johns even though I don’t think he would say he is a mixed media artist. He uses many materials in his work including found paper and other objects. His creations are inspirational because he does not follow the normal rules of art, but rather frees himself from those and produces amazing expressive work.
Where would you like to go with your art? What are your goals?
Making art is definitely a full time job for me now. I have a real business license, a bank account and everything. I know I want to continue on this path and my hope is that a gallery will want to represent me and help me sell my work. I also want to start making larger pieces. Right now everything is usually 24” or under. Many people have asked for larger works so I want to try and make that happen. I also want to teach classes or offer workshops. I also want to hire an assistant to help me with the technology side of things.
Aside from art, what makes you giddy in life?
I’ve already talked about my love of thrift and junk stores. Anytime I am in one of those places I am absolutely giddy with excitement. I enjoy going to new cities and visiting their thrift stores because it is a new experience. Honestly, though, my favorite place is the Goodwill outlet stores where everything is sold by the pound. They have these huge bins that they roll out and it is a free-for-all with people digging through looking for stuff. I absolutely love it! It’s the stuff dreams are made of. The thrill of the hunt and the even better thrill of finding something you really love. Fortunately I am able to share these adventures with my family. They don’t love it as much as I do, but they come along with me for the adventure.
Where can we find you?
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/gluepaperscissors_/
