Jon Legere strives to be bold.

As a producer, he “gets off on figuring out the impossible” for television and interactive and print projects that fall outside of the traditional model. He thinks similarly as an artist.

Mr Legere created a 100-inch shrimp collage painting in fluorescent pinks on the day Donald Trump won the presidency; he called it Leonard after the late singer, Leonard Cohen.

Lenny the Shrimp is central to Flotsam, the Bermudian artist’s third solo show in New York, which opened on Friday at the Calico Gallery in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

His Swimmers — 30 collage figurines — float on the walls; each wears a bright orange life jacket. A larger work on wood, Nobody Move, fits his older style of abstract collage painting.

“As a child I would collect the flotsam and jetsam from Bermuda’s shores,” he said.

“Bits of weathered plastic, softened glass and marine rope encrusted with barnacles. I would covet the waste and give it imaginary purpose.

“My recent work appropriates imagery into collages on paper, canvas and found objects. Resurrecting disregarded materials into a maelstrom of shape, colour and form is calmly satisfying.”

An inflatable sculpture hangs from the ceiling, “a prototype” for a future project that will be produced on a much larger scale outdoors.

The artist and producer said the sculptures are a progression from his former works, which have used video, paint, collage, photography and performance.

The recycled materials, fractal collages and neon colourways remain the hallmarks of Mr Legere’s style, but he said he’s enjoyed taking the next step to 3D. He started making the move to sculpture at last year’s Biennial, outside City Hall.

“It’s easy to control and takes over a white cube or gallery space. You can be bold and you can be loud with not a lot of effort,” said the artist who favours bright oranges and pinks.

“That was part of competing with the bright colours of Bermuda. You have to be very bright and bold there or you run the risk of being dull.

“You take that into a white, clinical gallery environment and it’s easy to be the loudest thing on the wall because you’re using fluorescent, but how does that translate?

“How can you make an impact outside?

“That’s something I’ve been exploring for the past couple of years with my style [and] my method.

“It’s really exciting because I don’t know how to do it.”

He joined ad agency Anomaly more than five years ago and is now head of integrated production.

“In my case, it’s hard work,” he said. “I’ve been working in the production space since my late teens, early 20s and I’ve been working as an artist since my late teens, early 20s and the passion that I apply to both sides of my life hasn’t ever diminished during that journey.

“I’m starting to see both of them hit a level of success that’s very rewarding, but it’s been 17 years of pure dedication to both.”

Under the title Volcanic, he planned events and ran a small design shop while living on the island.

“I feel like I’ve always been a producer and I’ve always been an artist and I’ve always put energy into them and now it’s aligned,” Mr Legere said.

“In 2009, I uprooted my entire life in Bermuda and moved back to New York.

“It would end up being one of the best choices of my life. You’ve got to leave the comfort zone. You’ve got to be OK with failure.

“Some of the work in this show is completely out of my comfort zone and it feels good.

“I have a joke with my friends now that we’re old, sleep is the new drug. Time is something that we don’t really have on our side, but you’ve got to carve it out for your passions and your career.”

If you’re in New York ... Flotsam runs through June 10 at 67 West St Suite 203. For more information: calicobrooklyn.com or calicobrooklyn@gmail.com