Mixed-media artist Dolan Geiman didn’t choose his materials—they chose him. “I decided on the medium of collage because I didn’t have money to buy ‘proper’ supplies like fancy brushes or even canvas when I first started out,” he candidly explained on his website. “The paper I used then and still use today comes from abandoned spaces – old farmhouses, burned down buildings, abandoned gas stations, and the like.”
In these circumstances, his artistic style was formed. Jump forward some years later, and with more than 20k fans on Instagram, Geiman is well on his way to artistic stardom. Previously employed as an Interpretive Naturalist for the USDA Forest Service, Geiman seeks to combine his interests in art-making with his studies of biology and American history.
Multilayered and rich in narrative, his artwork weaves tales of foregone eras and untamed wilderness in an attempt to reignite his viewers sense of adventure and wonder for the rugged American landscape. These narratives are formed out of found materials that include anything from reclaimed wood and salvaged metal to vintage papers.
“I like to spend time reminiscing on the past while flipping through the pages of decades forgotten magazines, intently searching for the perfect shape, color, or texture within a periodical’s pages to add to my archive of collage elements,” says Geiman. His pieces include elaborate paper collage portraits of classic American icons, as well as a plethora of mixed media works, with each piece taking anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to complete.
We recommend you follow his creative journey through Instagram.
