Rip sh*t. Reimagine.

Collages for curious minds.

I’m Whitney Van Cleave, a Colorado-based mixed-media artist who pieces together history, nature, and memory. By meticulously cutting and layering vintage ephemera, I create surreal windows into the rugged landscapes and nostalgic spaces I want to explore.

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Collections

A collage of nature scenes with mountains, flowers, a bird, and leaves, combining real and illustrated elements.

Tearing Through the West

Built entirely from delicate, contemporary travel magazines snagged during a summer road trip, this series is a vibrant diary of the modern West. It captures the bright momentum of the open road, shifting alpine landscapes, and time spent on the water.

Summer 2026

A living room with a wood-paneled wall, a sofa with patterned cushions, two wall-mounted lamps, a framed mirror, and a zebra-patterned rug. Two large circular artwork pieces feature branches with flowers and oranges, and a person picking oranges.

Garden & Gun Collection

Built from my late father's vintage Garden & Gun magazines, this series explores the lush, vibrant Southern landscapes I’ve yet to travel. It is a whimsical, tactile blend of his memories and my own deep curiosity.

Spring 2026

Collage of various scenic images including mountains, a woman riding a horse, a person overlooking greenery, a flying bird, a snowy mountain, and a donkey near a building.

2019 - 2021

Confinement Landscape

Created during the lockdowns as an escape from a tiny downtown apartment, these sprawling, monochromatic pieces are fractured windows into the rugged American West. They capture a deep, solitary yearning to reconnect with the wild when the real world felt out of reach.

A collage featuring a woman with black hair holding an orange cat, colorful neon sign, a bunch of radishes and carrots, a black and white photo of a man wearing sunglasses and a hat, and various parts of vintage advertisements and signs.

2019 - Present

Studio Standalones

An eclectic, unrestricted collection of one-off explorations where I let my imagination run completely free. From surreal humor to bold pop art, these standalone pieces capture the playful, unbridled curiosity of a studio session without rules.