If you're as unconcerned about what your neighbors think about you standing in the middle of the street and staring up at the sky like you're waiting to be abducted as I am, then you probably also watched for the "super moon" from this past August, when the moon was the largest it would be in 2014. And if you're the kind of person who loved that night, I'm guessing that these stunning images from Beth Hoeckel's collage collection "Point of View" will inspire that same kind of awe that made you stand with your mouth wide open on the curb a few months ago. The collages depict people in various states of dress with their backs turned marveling at wonders of nature or space from impossible distances, a few of them featuring a blown-up, disproportionate moon.
What is striking about the images is Hoeckel's ability to integrate the characters, who are all dressed and cast in a light that inspires a mid-century nostalgia, with the hyper-realism of these amazing feats in nature. While all of the situations in her work are impossible or near impossible, the way she pieces them together in the collages gives off a vibe so casual and relaxed that the viewer can, for a moment, imagine a universe where the bizarre and improbable happens.
"Point of View" is just one of many captivating collage series by Hoeckel, a Baltimore-based artist whose recent collage works include a "Veil", a series of powerful images of women whose faces are concealed in various incongruous scenes, and "Recollection", a black and white series of collages that inspires a dream-like, almost déjà vu quality. Hoeckel works as a multidisciplinary artist full-time, runs a shop that sells her prints online, and is also active on Instagram, where she shares images of projects and inspirations. Below are a few selections from the riveting collage collection "Point of View":
Images: Courtesy of Beth Hoeckel
