The gravity-defying mix of Volume 032 had a natural pairing with the surreal art of Matthias Jung. There's a sense of order and equilibrium to his impossible floating houses that allow them to channel tranquility instead of the sense that they're about to tumble out of the sky. After spending more time than we're willing to admit staring at the record spinner, we set off to learn more about how Matthias creates his unique pieces.
Matthias Jung was born in 1972 and studied media design at Schwäbisch Hall in Germany. Most of his artistic work are collages, a format he began working with as a child in his father's photo lab. Matthias prefers to work with actual photos, scissors and glue, rather than manipulating images digitally in Photoshop. "[The computer] should not determine the content," he says. "My pictures should reflect reality."
It's a fascinating reality that Matthias wants to reflect. His earlier works feature bizarre creatures and abstract shapes in real-world scenes, sometimes natural tableaus like rivers or forests, and sometimes manmade spaces such as parking lots or railways. In 2015, he began working on his series "Houses", arguably his most successful artistic endeavor. While not always floating, his structures always have some degree of what Matthias calls "disorder", but are based largely on logic, "as if in a dream". "In order for my work to function properly, I have to consider design rules. A building has to first be stable and credible before I can add some 'disorder', to let it fly, for example."
Matthias Jung also applies his keen eye as a media designer for businesses, cities & municipalities, events, and more. His website showcases a collection of that work, from logos to brochures to collections of short stories. Due to his mastery of collage, it's no surprise that he's excellent at combining text and images in an orderly, creative way, with colors that highlight the content without distracting.
With four international awards in the category of collage & photo-manipulation and exhibitions ranging from his local Stuttgart to Chicago, Matthias Jung's skill and vision are undeniable. Which is why we feel completely comfortable returning to that record spinner. To just float for a while.
