We’ve been totally obsessed with collage as a medium and Tylar Frame is a local artist making all the waves in it! We discovered Tylar at a Brewhalla Makers Market in Fargo. From original pieces to prints or even DIY kits, it’s been inspiring to see everything she creates with vintage magazines.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I was born and raised in Fargo. Outside of photography and collage, I’m a pretty simple gal—I love watching movies, hanging out with my pets, playing video games, and eating good food.

Describe what type of products you make?

I create hand-cut collages using material primarily sourced from vintage magazines. Some of my pieces are turned into prints and stickers, and others are sold as original works. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with collage on different objects, such as switchplates—every light switch in my house has a different design—and lighter sleeves. I’m probably best known for my functioning anaglyph prints that are sold with a pair of 3D glasses for viewing.

Tell us how you got started with your business.

One day, in early 2022, I was browsing Facebook Marketplace and I saw a listing for a box of National Geographics from the 70s. I knew that old magazines were a popular material used by collage artists and I had always wanted to try my hand at collaging myself. So, I responded to the listing, drove across town to pick up the box, and then spent that whole night flipping through every single issue and picking out images I thought were cool. By the time I put together my first piece, I had fallen in love with the process.

Where do you get inspiration for what you create?

Nostalgia, current events, and irony. I’m often drawn to things that filled me with wonder as a child, like CRT TVs and threedimensional technology. I try to keep that hopeful naïveté alive through my work, but being an adult now, it’s not easy to pretend the world is that simple—so sometimes my work is a reflection of my anger or frustration with the things I can’t control. And sometimes, I throw all of that deep meaningful stuff out the window and I just want to make something weird.

Do you have a favorite type of subject to collage?

Televisions! I’ve always loved using them in my art. Not only do I love how they look, but there’s an abundance of TV ads and photos in the magazines I use. They can represent so much to me—happiness, distraction, our overuse of technology, portals to another world. I have to force myself to use them sparingly.

What attracted you to collage as a medium?

I’ve always loved all kinds of art. I think I’ve tried everything once now—tufting, sewing, embroidery, sculpture, you name it. Collage was just another thing I thought could be cool to try. Now, I love it because of how similar to photography it is, at least in the way I do it. It’s like I’m creating new photos out of other peoples’ photos. Skills I’ve developed from my years of photography experience—especially creating compelling compositions—made it easy for me to find my own collage style and really settle into it.

What is your personal favorite item or piece you’ve created so far?

I lost my amazing grandmother to breast cancer in October of 2022. Within 24 hours of her passing, I had poured myself and all of my feelings into a piece for/about her. I always knew that people leaned into their art to navigate difficult times in life, but I had never experienced that before losing my grandma. That piece holds so much pain and joy and anger for me. It’s basically a time capsule of exactly how I was feeling at that moment in my life.

What is something you’ve enjoyed the most about doing this handcrafted business?

My favorite part about selling my art is seeing people’s reactions to it. Not everybody cares for it, but when somebody really connects to something I’ve created and I can tell they just get it, it’s extremely rewarding.

What is the most challenging thing?

It’s hard to put my work in front of people. There’s a level of vulnerability required to take these pieces that are extremely meaningful to me and show them to the world and hope that they mean something to somebody else, too. If you were to walk past my table at an art market, you would see my prints and my stickers and some original pieces sitting out. Nothing out of the ordinary. But to me, it feels like my heart and soul and brain are laid bare on the table for everybody to see, judge, or simply disregard as I sit and watch.

What is a word that best describes you?

Determined.

What advice would you have given yourself five years ago?

I think I would tell myself to have a little more faith in us. We figure it out eventually.

Where can people find your work?

You can find original pieces and prints in my online store: shop.tylarframe.com.

Instagram | @tyla.r