The new issue of BOYO zine is out and rather than obsessing over one character as per usual, issue number four looks at three Americans who’ve inspired creator Patrick Waugh. JFK Jr is the cover boy crush, and artist Ed Ruscha and photographer Bruce Weber are both visually praised in the zine’s 44 pages (each doubled-up for pure tactile pleasure). Waugh, who worked on art teams at Arena Homme +, Pop and here at i-D, breaks down the latest issue below.
Why did you feature JFK Jr, Ed Ruscha and Bruce Weber in this issue, rather than just one obsession?
I just couldn’t decide, so I included all three! I love each of these men and collected imagery of them and their work for years. For this reason I decided to tittle the issue “American Crush.” Bruce Weber’s collages are a huge inspiration for me. When I was the art director at Arena Homme+, his stories were always delivered in collage form. I love how they tell a narrative. His book Chop Suey is one of my favourite books. The images are so beautiful, so I cut some of the pages out of my book and collaged them.
What are the words that accompany the collages of JFK Jr?
The reoccurring theme of BOYO is obsession. The words that run throughout issue four are quotes from pop songs that I love which talk about having a crush or being in love. I have never wanted to add too may words into the fanzine, but these short quotes add a voice which I think is quite fun.
How did BOYO start out?
It started off as a zine. I used to be the commissioning editor and art director at Arena Homme+ so BOYO was a publication of my own that I did in between those two issues coming out each year. Then Luis Venegas liked an issue, which is how I ended up doing that issue of Electric Youth.
Why do you feel like you need this zine outlet?
For me, art direction in the last 10 years became so clean and so commercialised. If you were on set you had the client approving every image as you went along, so the idea of image-making and story-telling really changed a lot. I think a lot of younger talent coming though had not had the opportunity to maybe assist some really amazing photographers who were more print, and maybe that’s why they’re drawn to fanzines or this world of something tactile. You have that generation obsessed with the 90s – magazines and ad campaigns from the 90s – because they just seemed to be so much more textural. For me, when people ask me to contribute collages or work with them on a project for their magazine or their brand, it’s because it’s textural.
How long has collage been a technique of yours?
The first issue of BOYO came out 10 years ago. I was at Homme+ for a year when I moved to London from Australia. I was 20 and was the intern at Homme+ and Alasdair McLellan was a young photographer who had just shot a collection story and it was amazing to sit with him. I was around all his negatives and they were doing edits around me. I became very obsessed with his work and to this day think he’s one of the best photographers of our generation. It was his images that I loved cutting up the most. That first issue of BOYO was almost like a tribute to him because he inspired me so much.
Photographers can be understandably precious about their work. Do they not mind having it cut up into collages?
I think it just depends on the photographer’s confidence to be honest. At times Alasdair’s given me every single image and every single collage has gone in, and other times he’ll pick two and they’ll fit amongst a 10-12 page story. It’s more on the personality of the photographer and how fun, daring or challenging they want to be with their own work.
Who are your favourite collage artists?
I was obsessed with Linda Sterling when I was at uni. It was one of those books that I think I had checked out year on year because it was such a great book of inspiration. Then I really loved what M/M Paris did with Björk. And I adored their old Balenciaga campaigns. I guess what I was attracted to about them was just that human touch. Something felt like a person interrupted what I was looking at, and there was just so much emotion and personality brought into the work. I loved that. I loved that stage of Matisse’s work where he’s like “I’m so old so I can’t paint so I’m just going to cut paper and decorate the interior of my house.” Why not!?
What else do you have coming up?
I want to launch an exhibition next year, which is good because I’ve never actually done one. Something tactile and experiential. I was thinking actually about doing it in Berlin because I’ve actually collaborated a lot with people over there. There’s such a rawness to that city that’s genuine, rather than maybe finding an empty shop in Dalston, do you know what I mean?
BOYO issue 4 is available at antennebooks.com