As a collage artist, I am looking for connections, finding comparisons and using my full stock of artistic elements. From this slide you can see an example of the type of problem I continuously have to solve. In this piece I cut out a number of random shapes from various coloured maps. I realized I needed something similar but dissonant to add to it. I laboriously cut out a street map but then realized I had already glued down the map elements and needed to ‘fit’ the street map into the irregular shaped space. How would you solve the problem?
Artist in motion, 1987 (10 x 10 inches)
My Art journey began with drawing. Drawing continues to be an important part of my art practice but when I was introduced to collage however, it was love at first glue! It is no wonder that my first collages were a combination of drawing and collage. When I ventured into collage I used my knowledge of drawing to support my work. I used black and white images exclusively. After gluing down the elements I worked with graphite and erasers to merge the various images into one cohesive whole. I love how the collaged papers remain discernible, creating lines generated by the paper’s edge in compliment to my human lines.
Artist in motion, 1987 (10 x 10 inches)
My Art journey began with drawing. Drawing continues to be an important part of my art practice but when I was introduced to collage however, it was love at first glue! It is no wonder that my first collages were a combination of drawing and collage. When I ventured into collage I used my knowledge of drawing to support my work. I used black and white images exclusively. After gluing down the elements I worked with graphite and erasers to merge the various images into one cohesive whole. I love how the collaged papers remain discernible, creating lines generated by the paper’s edge in compliment to my human lines.
Self Portrait Approximately 1985
This self portrait was created about 35 years ago. When working in black and white it is easy to use reproductions, making it a great starting place for collage. I am able to amass several copies of the same image and try multiple ideas.
Self Portrait 2021
This is a recent self-portrait of myself and you will notice that I used the same facial image as I used 35 years ago. In this self-portrait, I have incorporated the cat from a famous photograph of Salvador Dali, an artist who along with other surrealist artists moved collage into the area of assemblage. (more about assemblage later). Dali's assemblage “Retrospective Bust of a Woman” is an example of the the freedom of the artist to use any materials at hand, something that speaks to me.
