From a distance, Elliott Hundley‘s layered canvases appear as frenzied masses of colors and shapes, kaleidoscopic fragments that seem reined in simply by the four sharp edges of the canvas. Closer, though, the blurred edges become clear, and recognizable figures and words stand out of the sumptuous collages. For the artist, these two-dimensional works share many of the same impulses as an opera—exaggeratedly dramatic and emotional, in his own words, something quite “artificial.”

In an exclusive interview filmed back in 2015 as part of Art21’s Extended Play series, Hundley explains the similarities between the two art forms, and expands on his artistic practice.

In opera, everything is dialed up to eleven: from the makeup and characters’ costumes, from the stratospheric high notes to the subterranean low notes, to the “ludicrous proposition” that is at the heart of each storyline. “I’m staging imaginary operas,” Hundley tells Art21. “That’s definitely my goal, creating some sort of emotional response from the work that I make” he says. If opera is a sort of funhouse mirror reflection of everyday life, slightly skewed and oversaturated, so too are Hundley’s collages.

Elliott Hundley, The Balcony (2020-21). Photo by Ben Davis.

Watch the video, which originally appeared as part of Art21’s series New York Close Up below. “Elliott Hundley: Echo” is on view at Regen Projects from January 14 through February 19, 2023.