“I have always been unable to resist the allure of yet another outdated magazine or satisfying trinket,” says Salt Lake City artist Maya England. This impulse to gather, paired with her dedicated drawing practice, results in works that feel like visual archives—personal yet universal.

As an expansion of our 35×35 program, which highlights the work of young professional artists in the state, Artists of Utah will be hosting an exhibition by England at the upcoming Poor Yorick Open Studio event, March 29, 4-10 pm (Studio D6). The Utah Valley University (UVU) graduate, who received a Juror’s Award at 35×35, has developed a distinctive artistic practice that merges her commitment to the fundamentals of drawing with a unique collage-inspired aesthetic.

Raised in what she describes as a “creative tension over the meanings of objects” (you might read here a reference to the 3-D collage inclinations of her artist father, Mark England), England’s fascination with found materials is a defining feature of her work. Old magazines, weathered photographs, and overlooked trinkets are collected and curated with care, forming the foundation for her layered visual style weaving memory, history and visual storytelling. Whether she’s incorporating a 1950s hunting catalog or a train ticket from a childhood trip to London, each element speaks to a broader sense of memory and nostalgia, grounded in a contemporary visual language. Each composition seems to suggest a fragmented narrative, as if recalling memories or piecing together cultural detritus to create something deeply personal.

One recent piece prominently features a meticulously rendered payphone, its precise details emerging from a chaotic field of paint splatters and layered ephemera. Surrounding the payphone are vintage snapshots: a trio of men huddled around a motorcycle, a raccoon grasping a fishing pole, and a mixed-media image of a traffic signal. The result is a piece that invites viewers to linger, decoding connections between objects and images that might otherwise seem unrelated.

Another work centers on a large, graphite-drawn apple core—a symbol of both consumption and loss. The surrounding textures and images, including fragmented silhouettes and figures floating across a pinkish sky, hint at cycles of decay and renewal. Similarly, a drawing of a ram’s head emerges from a collage of architectural imagery, historical photographs, and anatomical studies—melding themes of nature, culture, and memory.

In another piece, a fragmented skull is drawn in delicate detail and suspended amid collaged elements like vintage photographs, a View-Master reel, and drawings of flowers and houses. This interplay of precise draftsmanship and chaotic composition underscores a fascination with themes of mortality and remembrance.

A particularly evocative piece features a large bird with finely rendered wings, its feathers fanning out dramatically. Below the bird, a collection of fish appears suspended mid-motion, some with anatomical details exposed as if studied for scientific illustration. The combination of the bird and fish creates a tension between sky and water, predator and prey, movement and stillness. Vintage photographs of snowy landscapes and seascapes add a contemplative, almost cinematic quality to the piece, suggesting themes of survival, adaptation, and interconnected ecosystems.

For England, this synthesis of drawing and collage represents the culmination of years of experimentation and refinement. “At twenty-seven, after more than two decades of collecting, rummaging, and diligently drawing,” she reflects, “I believe I have reached the first defining stage of my artistic evolution.” England’s works, rich with texture and narrative complexity, reveal an artist who skillfully balances technical precision with expressive spontaneity.

Visitors to the Poor Yorick Open Studio event will have the opportunity to experience England’s intricate compositions firsthand. Poor Yorick, located in South Salt Lake and run by Salt Lake City artist Brad Slaugh, is home to more than 40 professional artists. Every six months, they open their doors, offering the public an opportunity to see the latest work from resident and guest artists.

Artists of Utah’s most recent 35×35 exhibition, which featured 35 Utah artists 35 years and younger, was held at Finch Lane Gallery in early 2024. Throughout the month of April we’ll be checking in with these artists to see what they have been up to lately.

15 Bytes

UTAH’S ART MAGAZINE SINCE 2001, 15 Bytes is published by Artists of Utah, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.