As an mixed media collage artist I am naturally a person who saves every little piece of paper. I never know when I going to need it for a collage. So when this Blog Action Day 2009 challenge was presented, I thought what I great way to share with you one of the oldest eco-friendly art practices.
Have You Ever Thought of Collage as Eco-friendly?
Background
A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, which turns into a new whole. A collage may include newspaper clippings, ribbons, hand made papers, pieces of other artwork, photographs and found objects. These objects are then glued to a piece of paper or canvas.
The actually practice of making a collage can be tracked back hundreds of years starting with he invention of paper in China around 200 BC. The use of collage remained limited until the 10th century in Japanese calligraphers. These Japanese calligraphers began to apply glued paper, using texts on surfaces, when writing their poems. The practice of collage continue into the 13th century in medieval Europe history. Gold leaf panels , gemstones, and other precious metals were applied to religious images, and coats of arms around the 15th and 16th centuries. Although this practice has been around a long time, it did not make a dramatic appearance until the early 2oth century as an art form.
Collage in the modernist sense began with Cubist painters, George Braque and Pablo Picasso.Surrealist artist have also been known to use collage elements in their work. 1962 we also begin to see collage use in Pop Art.
Forms of Collage
Paper Collage
- paper is the material of choice.It is inexpensive and readily available. The basics are cutting tearing, layering, exposing and securing. It is the simplest form of collage.
Found Objects Collage
- this is for the person who is a hoarder of sentimental items. Used bus tickets from a trip to the beach, leaves gathered on a walk through the park, a newspaper headline, or an old watch of your father's can all be used to make an exciting collage pieces to give as a gift.
Mixed Media Collage
- this techniques requires you to use several different types of media. This form allows an artist to review techniques already covered as well as learn new skills.
Fabric Collage
- fabric and threads offer an exciting medium for collages. There is a long tradition of people using scraps of material to express family stories. These images are made into quilts, wall hangings, and pictures. The fabrics can be painted, dyed, stretched, cut and layered.
Photomontage Collage
similar to decoupage, photomontage provides a simple and immediate way of constructing images using photographs, photocopies and cutouts.
Digital Collage
- computer design uses collage techniques such cutting , repeating, layering, and pasting images. Finished work has an additional bonus that your collages can be scale or sightly altered and then reprinted. Photographic images and existing design work can be scanned and later used in other digital collages.
To get more information about collages and how to tutorials purchase The Crafter's Complete Guide to Collage
Peace & More Love, Alease
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