Collage precis

I think this is a cool example of what I am looking at (for) when I am looking at the elements as I create a piece. Notice the three different placements of the dark circle element in the lower right hand portion of this collage. Two of the placements "don't work". The placement of the circle in exact center of the 3 x 3 matrix of the checkerboard pattern creates the illusion of a hint of a bigger square element. Interesting perhaps... but I thought it carried too much visual "weight". The other placement makes the edge of the circular element a bit obscure because it's placed against the dark squares within the checkerboard. The third placement worked best for my purposes, because it allowed just enough "weigh" to the element without drawing too much or too little attention. Do you agree? Enjoy.

Minimalism?

I've had this piece "done" for quite a while. The problem was that I was obsessing a bit about the fact that, although I really liked the piece, I thought that it should have more elements. The question is... "Why did I feel like it 'needed' more elements?" During the reception for the "Bits and Pieces" exhibit last October (curated by Jonathan Talbot) in New Rochelle, I saw some of Joan Hall's work and enjoyed it a lot. Her collages include a minimal number of elements; but the elements are exquisitely juxtaposed to create wonderful surrealistic images. Perhaps I was feeling guilty because one of my pieces included so few elements. Like maybe I haven't put enough work into it. Like maybe I was falling into the "anybody could do this" trap so many are prone to do when it comes to contemporary art (a la Barnett Newman and Mark Rothko). So anyway, I tried placing some additional images on this piece and nothing really seemed to work (I think the piece "knew" it was done ;-). And since I have an extended exhibit coming up in Pennsylvania, I needed to "finish" the work. I ended-up finishing it by leaving it as it was. I've decided not to "feel like I have to do something with it", especially since I like it as it is. The experience prompted me to further consider what it is we do as collagists. I am hoping that in another post soon, I will have time to address the creativity of simplicity. Hope you enjoy! (this piece is 8" x 10" an entitled "Happily...")

The time for creativity

I don't have much time this morning to comment (gotta get back to grading papers), but it never ceases to amaze me that some pieces come together only through a slow arduous process whereas others are created in a very short time. I worked on one of these pieces for days with lots of trial and error; the other came together from start to finish (with already-prepped materials) within an hour. I'll let you guess which one is which. Enjoy!

Response to Howard Caverns

I felt that this was interesting enough to make into a separate post for those of us interested in collage. My friend Howard Caverns as me "Why collage? What motivates me to continue with collage?" (please see his comment on one of my previous posts). Here is my quick response to Howard:

As you know, I used to be a watercolor painter with some talent (in perhaps my less-than humble opinion). I enjoyed the end-product and was disciplined with the technique. But I never felt all that creative in the process. And I was less able to explore with painting, both in terms of visual aesthetic and intellectual aspects. I find that I am learning much more through collage than I could through other media too. I mean, for example, I had always seen on country lanes the signs for "Registered Holsteins". I never thought that not only were they registered, EACH had an "official" name and number (and pedigree) too. Finding that book yesterday in Earlville was a real treat! And it stimulates me in a weird way to think about the fact that the people who owned those cows back in 1888! are dead of course, and the cows are LONG gone. But here I am sitting looking through that particular book and musing (after enjoying bidding on it at an auction). To some, that may have been considered a "dead" book. Have I resurrected it? BTW I have volume 8 which was one of the "fattest" ones and has several cow illustrations in it. There were MANY other volumes as well (which I suspect may one day (soon?) be carted away and burned or brought to the landfill. Collage is mentally and psychologically stimulating to me. "Musing" instead of "amusing". "Productive" instead of "consumptive". Ah, collage! Howard, you should join me. I'll teach you the technique and then you can journey too!

Ephemera specimens Part III

old photo and cow names ;-)
Enjoy

Ephemera specimens (cont'd)

I also brought home a few issues of "Scena Illustrata", an Italian magazine with great graphic designs from the 1930s. A stack of about 100 of these magazines sold for $360. I got about 8 for $7.50. They are simply beautiful. I also got several copies of the magazine "The Cosmopolitan" from 1903 and some old photographs.

Ephemera (specimens captured this day)

Although I spent more money than I would have at the Farmersville auction (in PA), I was able to collect some fine specimens for my collage work today at the ephemera auction at Marquis auction house in Earlville, NY. There were not a lot of people at the auction, but there were a few individuals there who were obviously dealers and who really drove the prices up on some items. But that's okay, I came home with some cool stuff. I've posted here some pictures of some of the more interesting things I got. One of my favorite things for collage and simply for enjoyable reading are medical and health books from the turn of the 20th century. They can contain some pretty wacky stuff. One of the books is entitled "The Perfect Woman" written by Dr. Mary Melendy in 1901 in which she warns that "Self-abuse is practiced among growing girls to such an extent as to arouse serious alarm... it is putting to a vile, selfish use the organs which were given only for a high sacred purpose" (the self abuse to which she refers is masturbation, of course). And at another end of the spectrum is the Holstein Herd Book which documents the names and numbers of registered Holstein cattle. I'm intrigued by such obscure records and of course, I am a sucker for a good image for transfer in my pieces (see the cow above).