Work
About
Punk Surrealist Winston Smith is a collage artist and illustrator best known for creating the iconic Dead Kennedys logo and album artwork. He has produced well over 50 record covers and is known for his work for Green Day and publications such as The New Yorker, Playboy, Spin, Vice Magazine and many more. His intricate collage work imbued with provocative, satirical imagery is created using vintage magazines and other imagery from Victoriana to mid-twentieth century Americana. His technique of hand-cutting and weaving each individual element to form fantastical, often irreverent dreamscapes has inspired a generation of artists. Winston has published multiple books of his collage collections and consistently creates new, powerful, contemporary original compositions.
Artist statement
I've been creating hand-cut collage art since the 1970s, after returning from nearly seven years studying Renaissance art in Florence and Rome. Coming home to Nixon-era America was a culture shock. The activism of 1969 had given way to complacency just as punk rock was beginning to erupt. Influenced by Dada and Surrealism, I began reclaiming the cheerful imagery of mid-century advertising and Americana, transforming it into dreamlike compositions that are playful, irreverent, and often politically charged. Rather than preach, I invite viewers to discover their own meanings by placing familiar images into unexpected relationships. My goal is to make each collage feel seamless, as if it was always meant to exist that way. Armed with nothing more than a razor blade and glue, I believe even discarded images can challenge convention—and maybe help change the world.