Collage Books

Michael Orick designs one-of-a-kind collage pop-up books. They are masterpieces. Orick wields an exacto blade with precision and inspiration. The art-work books are filled with unexpected juxtapositions, surprise flaps, and wheels that turn images.

Michael Orick hosts a weekly collage night at his home in Santa Cruz. Like minded artists gather Wednesday nights for creative evenings of a high-tech, high-art version of cut and paste. The Dead Cow Gallery in Santa Cruz hosted an exhibition of the collage night artists during April. It was grand fun but not as much fun as Wednesday nights.

see more from collage artists around the world at collagenight.com

Michael Stephens aka Michael Orick at riverrun 1988

In 1988 Mike was still Stephens. He had just graduated from high school. He was already a writer. In fact his aka name, Orick, was taken from a fictional charcater he'd created.
Michael had some Bookman characteristics like his grandfather and father. He considered setting up a bookstore, riverrun west, in California but other fascinating interests took up that time and creative energy: playwriting, acting, fatherhood, learning things.
Michael gets a big kick out of Collage Night. Every Wednesday night collage enthusiasts gather at his place and cut and paste. They can hear and smell the surf nearby but they scarcely notice. Each is completely engaged in his or her work. They're meticulous. The collages are art. In fact, the Collage Night gang has been invited to exhibit their work at the Dead Cow Art Gallery in Santa Cruz next month.
Michael has branched out from flat collages to collage pop-up books. They are splendid creations, but see? Books keep leaking into every aspect of his life. He moved 3000 miles away but he didn't get away from riverrun.

See collages by Michael (Blunktious) and other collage artists at: http://collagenight.com/index.php