Origin
Modern Mosaics origin story begins in the winter of 2012, while attending my sophomore year at MIAD, I was invited by fellow students to create what was likely a last-minute homework assignment. I had never made a collage before, but something immediately clicked. It felt like assembling a puzzle—excavating images from magazines and discovering new connections between them. Almost as if the collage already existed within the pages, waiting to be revealed.
Although I kept exploring other mediums, collage quickly became favored. My studio was filled with piles of magazines and scattered clippings, resembling the aftermath of carving a sculpture from stone. I created large-scale pieces using thousands of images and, without realizing it, had discovered the medium that would eventually become Modern Mosaics.
Parameter One: The Size
A few years later, I discovered a sketchbook that became the home for my collages over the next 5 years. Its hundreds of pages, portability, and ability to protect the pieces between sessions made it an ideal format. In time over 100 collages filled my sketchbook. It now houses years of creation between its covers. This sketchbook taught me much, including a consistent size that was ideal for a long term project.
Parameter Two: The Source Material
My enthusiasm had me pulling images from magazines at random, but over time I learned that more wasn’t better. After years of trial and error, I discovered that the right magazine needed compelling imagery, few advertisements, and a paper quality that could withstand cutting and gluing.
Through this process, one magazine consistently stood apart: National Geographic. Its striking photography, minimal ads, and durable pages made it the perfect source. Slowly, it became the primary material for my work, becoming the second constant of Modern Mosaics.
Parameter Three: The Monthly Constraint
The third parameter had been incubating for years: one magazine, one collage, every month. I was drawn to the idea of working within a limitation, realizing that endless options had become more of a hindrance than a benefit. I knew National Geographic was the only magazine I wanted to use for the experiment, but turning the idea into reality was difficult. I was comfortable with my process, and it took a major life event to finally embark on what would become Modern Mosaics.
In December 2018, I left home for Air Force Basic Military Training. While walking through the airport, I saw the December 2018 issue of National Geographic on the magazine stand. Something told me this would be the first issue for my project. I bought it, placed it in my backpack, and moved on.
Months later, during technical school, I was reacquainted with the magazine and with no creative outlet and a quieter routine, I finally began. I measured the magazine, adjusted the dimensions slightly to 10.875 x 15.875 inches, and created the format that would define the project. The third parameter of Modern Mosaics was born.
I had my family mail each monthly issue to me, knowing I wanted to continue the series one collage at a time. Working from a small dorm room with limited space, the constraint of one issue per month became part of the process. By the time I returned home, I had created the first seven months of Modern Mosaics and knew I had the foundation of a venture worth continuing.
One collage a month gave me enough time to thoughtfully create while allowing life to influence the work. The limitation of using only one issue became a challenge I embraced, forcing me to find inspiration within a fixed set of images. With National Geographic’s incredible photography, inspiration was never hard to find. As the series grew, I realized this had become a lifelong pursuit.
During my deployments overseas, I once again found myself in a small living space with limited access to creativity. Still, Modern Mosaics continued. I had each monthly issue shipped to me, and the isolation gave the project new depth. With fewer distractions and only one magazine to work from, the process became a grounding ritual. I realized that the project had grown beyond a simple idea — it had become something I was committed to carrying forward regardless of circumstances.
In January 2020, eager to share what I had created with National Geographic, I traveled to Washington D.C. with the original collages in hopes of connecting with the magazine. After reaching out, I was told it was a neat idea, but nothing more. At the time, I felt defeated. Although the project was only a year old, it had taken nearly a decade of experimentation to reach that moment, making the project feel larger than it was.
Still, I knew the project had to continue — and it did. Over the following years, I focused on creating rather than promoting. Social media felt incapable of capturing the depth and scale of the work, so Modern Mosaics became a private practice free from outside validation. Once each collage was completed, it was stored away, and my focus shifted to the next issue.
In 2021, on a cold Wisconsin morning, I rushed out of my home and unknowingly left my entire portfolio of collages on top of my car. Days later, excited to share the latest Mosaics with friends, I searched my apartment for the portfolio only to realize they had vanished. I had no idea they had fallen off my car and into the street.
A few days later, I received a message from my neighbor. Her son had stumbled onto the artwork scattered across the pavement and was only able to identify me because of my contact information on the portfolio. I was thrilled to learn they had been rescued, but that excitement quickly turned to devastation when I learned many of them were missing or badly damaged.
As Modern Mosaics grew, I knew it was time to share the project with National Geographic once again. In February 2026, a new idea took shape: creating a physical archival portfolio that mirrored the magazine itself. The work deserved more than a phone screen or the silence of dark binders. It needed to be experienced as a complete collection.
Soon after, in 2026, I was unexpectedly deployed again. However, this one carried a different weight, with the reality of danger present every day. I found myself reflecting on how long it had taken me to begin Modern Mosaics in the first place. I made a promise that I would no longer wait for the “right” moment. If I returned home, I would act.
While deployed, I spent my free time designing the portfolio so I could begin immediately upon my return. Thankfully, I made it home safely and started the process. With a professional Epson scanner, I restored the damaged and missing pieces and began preserving the entire series via this portfolio.
Ideas can take years of practice and refinement to develop but bringing them into reality requires action.
I am honored to share the complete visual archive of all 93 Modern Mosaics. After surviving years of challenges and unexpected obstacles, the project continues with each new monthly issue of National Geographic, soon reaching the milestone of 100 consecutive pieces. My hope is that it continues for decades to come, reaching 200, 300, and beyond.
I hope you enjoy viewing these Mosaics as much as I have enjoyed creating them.