Material Issues is a body of sculptural collage works that interrogates the visual language of mass media and the constructed nature of identity in contemporary culture. Through a distinct fusion of handcrafted techniques and conceptual rigor, Stephen Anderson transforms fragments of vintage advertisements, book illustrations, and repurposed slogans into layered, dimensional assemblages.

Each work is meticulously constructed using scroll saw-cut wood, built up in physical and narrative layers that echo the complexity of the cultural myths they deconstruct. Drawing from the traditions of Pop Art, assemblage, and postmodern critique, Anderson’s practice navigates the space between nostalgia and disruption—inviting the viewer to reflect on the commodification of selfhood, emotional experience, and public messaging.

Formally sculptural yet rooted in the visual logic of collage, these wall-mounted works complicate the boundaries between two-dimensional image and object. With irony, sincerity, and precision, Material Issues invites a deeper consideration of how mass-produced language shapes our understanding of value, beauty, power, and desire.