In each of the Mutants and Venus USA collages, cutouts from fashion catalogues or comic books, break a curtain-like ground made by stroking the page with pastels. The unexpected presence of a disembodied bikini or suspended text bubble is an act of self-sabotage against the mark of the fingers. Floating on abstract grounds, the cutouts gain a formal beauty which they did not have in their original context, as if they are absorbing something from the rich, velvety quality of the pastels. At the same time, the decontextualized alien images contaminate the strokes of pure color on which they rest.

Mutant 24, 2006, collage on paper and pastel, w11" x h14"

Mutant 22, 2006, collage on paper and pastel, w11" x h14"

Mutant 20, 2006, collage on paper and pastel, w11" x h14"

Mutant 18, 2004, collage on paper and pastel, w11" x h14"

Mutant 17, 2004, collage on paper and pastel, w11" x h14"

Mutant 15, 2004, collage on paper and pastel, w11" x h14"

Mutant 10, 2000, collage on paper and pastel, w11" x h14"

Mutant 8, 2000, collage on paper and pastel, w11" x h14"

Mutant 6, 2000, collage on paper, pastel, pencil and wax, w11" x h14"