Beth Hoeckel at the edge of the world

Playing with the juxtaposition between foreground and background objects, Beth Hoeckel's photographs and collages are inhabited by inquisitive figures, often to be found standing on the edges of cliffs, or looking out to lakes or even into deep space. 

Hoeckel tells Phaidon she creates her collages from images she's often been saving for years. The walls of her Baltimore studio are covered in ready-cut pieces to stick together and give a good indication of the colours, shapes and imagery she's interested in at any given moment. "I almost always start with no specific idea in mind," Hoeckel tells Phaidon. "The work grows organically and intuitively and I enjoy building something out of nothing."

The collages conjure up scenes of imaginary worlds, distant lands and dream sequences which she prefers to leave to the audience to decipher. "I once found a small black and white photo of a beautiful young girl in a head scarf hugging a koala bear," she says. "It was inscribed 'once upon a time - 1961' on the back. I wish I knew the story behind that photograph."

Click through the pictures above to see more of Hoeckel's photographs and collages. Limited editions of her work are also available to buy on Cargo Collective.

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