Junkculture

Ethiopian artist Elias Sime creates expansive collages and sculpture from discarded electronic odds and ends gathered from local markets. His latest solo exhibition at James Cohan Gallery in New York, consists of a series of massive panels layered with the cast-off innards of computers and machines. Assemblages of electrical components form tight networks of colorful patterns appear as cityscapes viewed from above. For Sime, the objects he uses are not trash: “I treat them like oil paint, acrylic or clay.” he explains, “The size of my art is determined by the idea behind the composition. If the idea overwhelms me, the size of the work keeps growing until I have said enough.”