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Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Artist: Emily Datsko (Columbus)
Sales for this work are handled by Pulp Stiction. Payment is made through this page.
Year: 2026 | Medium: Vintage/used books, glue stick | Dimensions: 14 x 14 inches | Display: Wall-hung (2D)
Artist Statement
This artwork is a celebration of the simple beauty of nature. Why are people drawn to AI slop when there are birds and flowers? I choose to spend countless hours doing something that brings me joy: looking at and cutting out physical pictures instead of feeding the algorithm or working. As someone who spends their day working on a computer, it’s essential for me to have a creative outlet using tangible materials. Even creative tools I once found sacred, like Photoshop, now try to shove automation down my throat. Now that we have the ability to remove the background of images in one click, choosing to meticulously do it by hand myself feels like an act of resistance.
The materials I use also feel like an act of resistance. Whether obtained via friends who had been holding onto their junk mail for some reason, or the free little libraries scattered throughout my neighborhood, or someone’s collection of National Geographic magazines that I found in a thrift store, every collage I make is created with someone else’s unwanted stuff. I like to think about how many hands the pieces of paper I cut have traveled through to get to me.
About the Artist
Emily is a graphic designer and artist based in Columbus, Ohio. Her collage work emerged from the desire to simply make art using her hands, and soon became what felt like a compulsion. From hunting down old magazines and books, to sifting through the pages for imagery she’s drawn to, to painstakingly cutting out tiny details on flowers and butterflies and buildings, the entire process is therapeutic. Slowing down and finding small beauty all around is at the heart of her practice.
emilydatsko.com
Pulp Stiction: Collage as an Act of Resistance. Hopkins Hall Gallery, OSU, Oct 26 to Dec 11, 2026.
Artist: Emily Datsko (Columbus)
Sales for this work are handled by Pulp Stiction. Payment is made through this page.
Year: 2026 | Medium: Vintage/used books, glue stick | Dimensions: 14 x 14 inches | Display: Wall-hung (2D)
Artist Statement
This artwork is a celebration of the simple beauty of nature. Why are people drawn to AI slop when there are birds and flowers? I choose to spend countless hours doing something that brings me joy: looking at and cutting out physical pictures instead of feeding the algorithm or working. As someone who spends their day working on a computer, it’s essential for me to have a creative outlet using tangible materials. Even creative tools I once found sacred, like Photoshop, now try to shove automation down my throat. Now that we have the ability to remove the background of images in one click, choosing to meticulously do it by hand myself feels like an act of resistance.
The materials I use also feel like an act of resistance. Whether obtained via friends who had been holding onto their junk mail for some reason, or the free little libraries scattered throughout my neighborhood, or someone’s collection of National Geographic magazines that I found in a thrift store, every collage I make is created with someone else’s unwanted stuff. I like to think about how many hands the pieces of paper I cut have traveled through to get to me.
About the Artist
Emily is a graphic designer and artist based in Columbus, Ohio. Her collage work emerged from the desire to simply make art using her hands, and soon became what felt like a compulsion. From hunting down old magazines and books, to sifting through the pages for imagery she’s drawn to, to painstakingly cutting out tiny details on flowers and butterflies and buildings, the entire process is therapeutic. Slowing down and finding small beauty all around is at the heart of her practice.
emilydatsko.com
Pulp Stiction: Collage as an Act of Resistance. Hopkins Hall Gallery, OSU, Oct 26 to Dec 11, 2026.