hello! i'm kevin bergkvist, a multi-disciplinary artist out of st. paul, minnesota.
my process mixes cut-and-paste collage, graphic design, and screen printing to produce work that feels joyfully accidentally yet aggressively deliberate.
i explore the spirit of punk and zine culture: infusing a heavy, DIY cut-and-paste aesthetic with themes of lightness, compassion, and empathy.
my pieces revolve around the juxtaposition of a heavy aesthetic with hopeful tones.
CONTACT
email me at e.l.kludge@gmail.com if you are interested in commissioning artwork, illustration, design, or fine art for your project or company or band… or whatever you got going on.
GALLERY
a small selection of recent works. to see what's available now - visit kludge.store
"how do we soften?"
paint & screenprinting ink on wood panel
36x45 inches
2023
"in the thick of it"
paint & screenprinting ink on wood panel
18x24 inches
2023
"food, fashion fun"
paint & screenprinting ink on wood panel
36x45 Inches
2023
"mother nature"
paint & screenprinting ink on wood panel
16x20 inches
2023
"stripes & scales"
screenprinting ink on paper
12x9 inches
2023
"leave now, take off"
paint & screenprinting ink on wood panel
9x12 inches
2022
PROCESS
my process starts with tactile collaging and sketching using common materials such as printer paper, pens, salvaged typewriters, scissors, and glue. This deliberate choice of materials serves as a language through which I explore concepts, inviting the viewer into a dialogue of visual exploration.
Working at a small scale, often on pocket-size sketchbooks or using thermal labels, this approach allows me to shape my finished works.
These limitations and the collage process involve choosing materials for their aesthetic value, playing and pairing to discover connections, and embracing a DIY sensibility, creating a language through which viewers can engage in visual exploration.
After scanning and minimal editing on the computer, I moved to screen printing. To me, screen printing is a fascinating blend of practicality and artistic magic. It allows me to scale up my original collages, transforming the pocket-sized sketches into larger works on paper, wood, or garments.
Like my collages, my wood panels are often made of found materials, embodying sustainability and reinforcing a punk/DIY aesthetic.
Within this transformative process, I relish experimentation, embracing imperfections and unexpected textures integral to my style. What might have been an easy-to-miss detail like a scotch tape edge in the pocket-size piece becomes a featured characteristic on the panels. Profoundly influenced by Corita Kent, I emphasize choosing images for their aesthetic qualities, experimental screen printing, and willingness to embrace happy accidents.
