One thing every artist knows: inspiration can come from the most unlikely places. It can come from virtually anything, from a walk to the park to a box of old photos from the back of the attic. And one artist that found an interesting source of inspiration for his recent visual art showcase is Luc Sante.

Although he is more well-known for his writing, Luc Sante just made his first gallery appearance with a show of collages. Sante has not previously presented his works displayed in a gallery, but he isn’t unfamiliar with this medium as he began making collages as a teenager in the late 1960s. After working on his writing for a while, he returned to making visual art a few years ago after a long absence and has since regularly posted his projects on social media.

He had always intended to return to the visual medium, as attested by the fact that he brought his materials with him through many moves. He acquired a good bit of the supplies for his exhibition as an employee (1976-1979) of the Strand Bookstore. During his employment, part of his job involved disposing of excess supplies (magazines, postcards, photographs, etc.) which had arrived with the books when the store purchased private libraries. Due to this source of inspiration, his art draws on a body of imagery that dates primarily from the late nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth.

In his first-ever gallery appearance, one of three concurrent online-only shows at James Fuentes Gallery, Mr. Sante focuses on one or two details at a time. Whether on reclaimed ledger paper or vintage picture postcards, the images he constructs contain haunting imagery with unique details and themes.