Collage + Landscape = Collagescape
Collagescape Prototypes,
mixed media on board, 6”x6” each
Part of the work of making collage is the time and effort
spent seeking material that I refer to as collage fodder. I find the hunt enjoyable poking around
thrift stores, yard sales etc. I
also have a great network of friends and family who are always making
contributions. My current show,
the Art of Beer, would have
been impossible without their help.
That said, I have had a nagging feeling in recent years that the days of
collage as we know it, could be numbered.
Basically, as we become a paperless society, or a less-paper society, we
are leaving behind less and less ephemera to work with.
We are still far from the collage crisis, but I am already
thinking ahead. During the 2011 Project I started with the idea of making
my own collage material. For
last year’s installation I even made my own “vintage” luggage tags for a collage. In my latest series, I am carrying the
idea further, where I am making all my own collage fodder from scratch.
When I am not working on collage, I usually am
painting. I typically paint
western landscapes. Not that I would dare compare myself to
the genius of Diebenkorn, but this summer
I was reminded of a certain kinship with his palette. It’s a palette that most California painters work in. As I make material for this new series,
that is the palette that I am using.
I started with the California landscape, making big fields of color to
be cut up and reconfigured into collage landscapes or collagescapes. A certain reference to maps or aerial
imagery, but I am not seeking to be too literal with the finished pieces. This new series is essentially a coming
together of many of the different but connected elements I have been working on
for years – landscape, maps and collage.
Shown are some examples from the Phase 1 in the Collagesacpe
Series. Phase 2 will be more place
specific, capturing places I love such as Point Reyes and Mount Diablo.
Prints and other accessories of some of the images are
available from Society 6. Contact me directly regarding the
originals.
California Collagescape,
mixed media on board, 12”x16”
No comments:
Post a Comment