Introducing Martin The Skinny Type, a Colombian London-based collage artist focusing his gaze on male, sensual imagery that he collects, cuts and combines to create intimate idyllic scenarios. His gear is made of his desire, sharp blades and magazines’ glossy pages. His creations are pulled by a personal gravity that forces images to work together. These visual fusions of bodies serve the fantasies and dreams to gain a physical form. Welcome to the homoerotic world of Martin.
Hi Martin, could you briefly talk us through your background, who are you and what is it that makes you, you?
Where to start… I grew up in a small town lost in the mountains of Colombia, a beautiful but quiet place. I left as soon as I had the opportunity back in 2002, and came to London, then Barcelona, Madrid and now I’m back in London. And regarding what makes me, me, I guess, it is a combination of what I have lived and what I’ve been born with.
Your works are represented by the name The Skinny Type. What is the story behind this pseudonym?
I am afraid it is not very exciting. It started as Martinelmasflaco; I have always been very skinny and being so has always been a very distinct physical characteristic that people associate me with. So it was the email I choose back in the early 2000s when emails started and has stayed with me since. TheSkinnyType was an evolution when I opened my Instagram account.
What do you do and how did you discover this passion of yours?
I studied engineering and specialised in structures design and still work in the architectural world. I suppose that all the years of precise architectural and engineering drawing have something to do with my cutting skills. It actually started randomly, back in 2013. I bought a pair of underwear and the torso that was printed on the packaging was really hot so when I got home I took a pair of scissors and cut it. I liked the feeling and decided to have a look at the magazines I had at home and found other hot guys/bodies to cut. I ended up that day doing a collage with that underwear packaging and haven’t stopped ever since. I actually still like that first collage a lot.
How does a day of a collage artist look like?
It always starts with coffee and involves lots and lots of magazines/books page turning and inspiration searching. I used to cut figures for the sake of cutting them, just because I like them. Now that I have more material, I tend to be more selective and cut them only when I have an idea and think it can work with another image. I like working with daylight but it’s not always easy to find the time.
What wouldn’t your creative process do without?
Desire, probably.
You are committed to exclusively manual, non-digital approach to your work. You use printed images, your hands and scissors. Is it hard work? Do you sometimes struggle with blisters on your fingers?
I wouldn’t call it hard work as I enjoy the process a lot, it is actually what I enjoy the most. I basically do it because I enjoy doing it. It has always been a very personal and private activity. I have cut myself a few times but nothing too bad. I am quite organised and careful so not that many blisters on my fingers. Also, not much of scissors anymore, I work with professional cutters, usually from the medical world as the blades are sharper and last longer.
What are the pros and cons of working manually? Is working digital something that you tried but didn’t like, or you do you simply refuse to explore it?
It is all about the process of forcing two images you like together to create a completely different story, or scene, or situation. I actually find it quite scenographic. When you do it in paper, it’s more challenging because you are more limited both from the sources and from the tools perspective.
I´ve worked digitally as well, especially on a few collaborations with other photographers, but it’s not the same. In a way, it becomes too easy and less natural because you can manipulate the images a lot. Once you are allowed to scale, mirror, clone, and undo, it kind of loses the magic for me.
“Narcissistic love is quite constant in my work but it comes more from a desire of watching it than from living it myself.”
Where do you source the images you use for the collages? Do you take what already exists and remix it into something new, into an entirely new reality of some kind in which these images can live?
Precisely. I create idyllic scenarios and they all tell a story. Narcissistic love is quite constant in my work but it comes more from a desire of watching it than from living it myself. I am discovering new publications and photographers all the time, so I guess my source of images is a combination of randomly looking for magazines and books in the right bookstores, but also discovering photographers and then finding publications where they are published. I would say that in the beginning it was more the first one and now it tends to be more the second one.
What magazines, newspapers or other mediums tend to provide the best source imagery?
It is hard to describe. The best for me are monographs of photographers I like a lot. I usually work with different images of the same guy together or with images from the same photographer, so that helps.
Collage is a process based on combining (in your case) images. It seems to me that the possibilities of combinations are infinite. Is it so? How do you decide which two/three/seven belong together?
It all begins with a desire of the images working together, so it starts with certain clarity of what the fantasy wants to be. The realisation or not of the desire makes the decision. I sometimes try a lot and spend a lot of time trying to put two images together without ever succeeding. Most of the times, my favourite works come together immediately without much of an effort.
It all begins with a desire of the images working together, so it starts with certain clarity of what the fantasy wants to be. The realisation or not of the desire makes the decision. I sometimes try a lot and spend a lot of time trying to put two images together without ever succeeding. Most of the times, my favourite works come together immediately without much of an effort.
I use the leave that covers Adam’s parts on Albrecht Dürer’s painting from the 1500s. I find it quite telling that here we are, five hundred years later, and are still having the same arguments about whether a line can be drawn between what is acceptable and what is not for publishing.
It doesn’t really affect my works because I couldn’t care less. However, I have to censor my own images in order to publish them on Instagram. I guess it is annoying but it’s not a straightforward debate.
It doesn’t really affect my works because I couldn’t care less. However, I have to censor my own images in order to publish them on Instagram. I guess it is annoying but it’s not a straightforward debate.
Homoerotic imagery is very present in your work. What is your gaze on the male figure, sensuality and sexuality? What artists portraying homoerotic scenes/images inspire you?
The perception of the male figure throughout art history is quite amazing. From the perfection of the Greeks to the sensuality of the Egyptians or the Renaissance, to the modern times. It’s actually quite obvious the type of figure I feel attracted to just from looking at my works.
I’m discovering new artists all the time, but classic sculpture would be right at the top together with people like Nicolas Poussin, Henry Scott Tuke, Slava Mogutin, Matt Lambert, Gerardo Vizmanos, Peter de Porter, Paul Peter, and so on.
I’m discovering new artists all the time, but classic sculpture would be right at the top together with people like Nicolas Poussin, Henry Scott Tuke, Slava Mogutin, Matt Lambert, Gerardo Vizmanos, Peter de Porter, Paul Peter, and so on.
Is there an underlying theme or message you’re trying to get across to your audience?
Not really, the works have never been created for an audience. It’s more about sharing something personal and finding a good reception of it.
What have you got planned in terms of future projects?
I’d like to further explore working with my own images but also keep doing collaborations with other photographers. I would also love to do an exhibition but there is nothing quite planned yet.
