Shirtless male models, Fashion's hottest It girls, and the characters from your favorite Disney movies. What do they have in common? They are the subjects of Portis Wasp artworks, the Scottish-based collage artist blends pop culture, fashion with our childhood to make viral works of art.
Portis also writes for MTV and ASOS Likes on a regular basis and has created pop art collages for publications like Paper, Galore, Garage, Odda and Attitude. Our contributor and fashion photographer Djordje Bukvic caught up with him to chat about the inspiration behind his works.
Seems like American POP culture has a great influence on your collages. What inspired you the most in pop culture?
I fell in love with American pop culture from a very early age and still find myself many years later inspired by so many different artists and entertainers working in the industry.
How did you start combining Disney motives with celebrities, how did the idea bloom?
I was looking for a fun way to do something with one of my friend’s photos and happened upon an illustration of a bunny and a naked guy doing yoga together. I liked how the image was both cute and sexy, which is what lead to me mixing Disney with fashion photography.
How much time does it usually take to create your artworks?
It really depends… Sometimes I can make a collage very quickly in less than a half hour and other times it might take a few hours to create an image depending on the level of intricacy required.
If you could choose one celebrity or model to work with, who would it be?
I would love to work with Duckie Thot! I think she’s an incredible beauty.
My favorite thing about your work is that there is no sexism or racism. Are you always thinking about the message behind your work, or it's a creative process flowing spontaneously?
Thank you! I usually decide what I want to do with an image very quickly so the process always feels very spontaneous to me. I also rarely think about conveying a particular message through my work. I just love telling stories!
Which brand complements your sensibility/style the most?
I have actually worked on projects with three fashion brands recently, and while the projects haven’t been released yet I think when you see them you’ll agree they suit my style a lot! One brand I haven’t worked with yet though that I’d love to do something with is Moschino.
How do you define beauty?
I don’t think beauty can be defined.