Today we’d like to introduce you to Sean Ryan.
Hi Sean, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My name is Sean Ryan and before 2020 I was a cocktail bartender in Carlsbad, California. When Covid hit, restaurants closed indefinitely and I was granted a freedom in schedule like I’d never before experienced in my adult working life. I kept busy with little projects or playing guitar and making art. At one point I spent time reorganizing my tiny studio apartment and I started gathering old magazines I had laying around. I hated to throw away gems from the past so I decided to cut some things out of them that looked cool. I had an artist friend who made collages and I sat down and decided to play with the cutouts. It turned out pretty good surprisingly and opened up this whole world of art I had never seen.
I always drew and painted but that type of art was an empty canvas that you had to create an idea from out of thin air. This was different. The inspiration was in the images I cut out and all I had to do was rearrange them in the way I wanted. I got super into it, and started making a new collage every day. There was a trend called Frebullage that gave a theme to each day of that month. People posted and tagged their photos hoping to get feedback or some views, but I took it as a challenge to try to make something new everyday. What else did I have to do during Covid? So that’s when I started posting my art to instagram. I called myself @darkcontraster which seemed fitting because I noticed a theme in my collages…they were surreal, a bit twisted, and played with color and contrasting worlds.
Soon I started gathering a little following and even got some recognition from an artist I looked up to for years! Mr. Babies was my favorite collage artist and it seemed like he was everyone else’s too! We both played with surreal themes but what I did differently was try to make it seem like the image was almost real; clean enough. to look photoshopped, but perspectives correctly balanced to make you look twice at whether it was a photograph or not.
My collages are made by hand with a very simple set of tools, I have a razor blade, an Elmer’s glue-stick, and old photo books or magazines that I thrift from antique and second hand stores. I cut things out meticulously and then try to create a new world on paper. Anyone can do it, but everyone will see a different world they want to create. These are my worlds, and they are for everyone to explore.
That being said, creating other worlds taught me that I can change my real world as well. After Covid I decided I wasn’t going to work long hours behind a bar forever and so I decided to take my art more seriously and pursue travel. I’ve been back and forth traveling Asia and spending a lot of time in Indonesia since then. It’s never too late for a fresh start, or a fresh canvas…
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been mostly smooth. Making the art started off purely fun, but when I was trying to make one everyday I got burned out after 2 weeks and had to push myself to still do it. I was losing inspiration and I didn’t want to make something I didn’t see as a valuable expression. So, I turned to instagram and the huge database of creative artists. I started analyzing their cutting techniques, their sky replacements, or concepts that made something surreal look realistic. I started using these inspirations as something to search for when I flipped through my books looking for something to cut. It changed everything. If I had never struggled I never would have found the community of artists that I admire so much, and I never would have sought the source of inspiration that I rely on today.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
So I am an analog collage artist. In other words I hand cut physical pieces from photos and glue them together to make a story on paper. On top of that, I pair each image with a poem on instagram as a vague but intricate explanation for what the image means from my perspective. I sell prints and some clothing for fun, but it’s a tough business as an artist. I have gained the most acknowledgement for my surreal style and realistic cutting and gluing techniques, which make people think I digitally created my collages. I take that as a compliment because I don’t want to distract the viewer from the world they’re viewing, I just want them to immerse themselves in it.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love San Diego. I grew up here and it allowed me to pursue happiness along side hard work. It’s not a cheap city to live in, but the beaches and creative minds are there for those who want to design the way their life goes. My favorite thing about it is probably the weather, and the location. I have surfed my whole life and letting go of your devices to be completely encapsulated by the ocean helped me stay present in an ever-changing world. My least favorite thing is probably that burrito prices have doubled since I was a kid, and they are probably my second favorite thing about San Diego!
Pricing:
- 8″x12″ Premium Matte Print $29
- 12″x18″ Premium Matte Print $44
- Dark Contraster Photo Book $49
- Shirts and Hoodies $35-$60
- Tote Bags $30
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.darkcontraster.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darkcontraster/
Image Credits
Dark Contraster
