Collage

What it is? Collage is a contemporary aesthetic, it is a post modern hybrid mixture of mediums. Collage is often seen in cubism, dada, constructivism, pop art and, abstract expressionism. Collage is a fully established technique that we are used to seeing and we are surrounded by it. Kevin Cherry uses collage to create noisy imagery with a content that is shocking rather than the media used.

Collage is the use of pre-existing or previously used material that is reused to create and original visual message through construction. Collage involves reconfiguration, this is to rearrange the elements or context, to change the shape or formation and to remodel or reconstruct the image. Collage is the reconfiguration of disparate individual elements or signs. Signs signify meaning and mixing signs  can create a visual dialogue which could be unrelated to the original signs used in the collage. Ester Hemandez create a clever new meaning in his work ‘Sun Mad’ 1981 using the package of Sun Maid to present the deadly production processes and the pesticide ridden, unnaturally grown produce. This work shows how collage can cause the original meanings being subverted.

Cubist Collage was the turning point in cubism in 1911 and therefore in the evolution of modernist art. In cubism however it was considered a playful use that was  not art and in fact rubbish. It helped in the development in the illusion of depth and layers in art works. This illusion was known as ‘Trompe l’oieil’ meaning trick of the eye and fool to the eye.

Abstraction is unconcerned with the literal depiction and focuses of color, space, and form. It is looking for an emotional response rather than an understanding.

Newspaper cuttings within a composition can introduce additional external meanings for example a political, social or philosophical approach. Through collage changes in both the visual and meaning of an image open a new opportunity of word play possibilities. This is reconfiguration; it connects art with modern society literally and physically. Cubist collage allows something new to transcend in art, for example using newspaper clippings can portray a potentially political definition, making the words dangerous tools.

Dada is created by real people that don’t conform to the romantic idea of artists (anti-art). They look to break down the barriers, showing mad art for a mad world at war. War achieved nothing but death and technology capable of causing even more death. Some dada work consists of collage using popular culture imagery reconfigured; this technique starts to explore the territory of pop art. Dada also showed non-representational art expressed from within, this abstraction was a rejection of the traditions in the past.

Abstract expressionism is the visual manifestation of human emotion and the inner self. Many pieces or art used collage techniques as it was a fast way to compose and was an accepted visual language.

Pop art is a rejection of elitism of abstract expressionism. It is a celebration of mass or popular culture imagery. However it is still elitist as it is art for the knowing and seen by the few that visit art galleries, therefore it becomes a comitial art itself.

Contemporary collage in illustration is recognizable appropriated imagery combined with the awareness of dada, cubism, abstract impressionism and pop art. Collage is an effective medium to use with the construction of narrative based images.

Bloomsbury to Blast

The term Bloomsbury was given to a group of people, consisting of art critics, artists and writers. They would have formally constructed meetings in salons (private spaces) and discuss topics like politics and social theories. The rooms they often used would be run by influential and important women. Bloomsbury was present in the time of challenge, of Charles Darwin and Sigmund Freud, which were theoretically intellectually groundbreaking.

The Stephen family were strongly involved with Bloomsbury. Those who made an impact on the group were the children Vanessa Stephen (Bell) 1879-1961, Virginia Stephen (Woolf) 1882-1941, and their younger brother Toby Stephen. Toby became involved with Bloomsbury though Cambridge University as many other members were educated there, a place essentially for males. Their farther was very involved with his children’s education and made sure they were intelligent giving the daughters access to a private library. There farther always had liberal ideas and was a published writer before he died in 1904, this was a pivotal year in the family.

The family moved from Kensington to Bloomsbury in 1904 both wealthy areas to live, in this new home the family would receive people for intellectual discourse. Vanessa painted all the walls white to show their house without conspicuous consumption, photographs were hung on the walls which in this time was seen as too modern and harsh, there was also Indian shawls draped over the lamps. This was a much reduced aesthetic as opposed to the Victorian clutter.

Also in 1904 Virginia is emotionally frail and the death of her farther causes a nervous breakdown. Vanessa being a painter is the driving force behind the aesthetic of the house, and in 1906 she married to Clive Bell after the death of her brother. In 1910 however she meets Rodger Fry and begins having an affair, although she is in a dissolved marriage but not divorced this affair was matter of fact and open. Roger Fry was also a painted and thought art history in ‘The Slade’. He was an intellectual who brought new ideas of post impressionism in shows and galleries. He nurtured the imitation of happenings in Paris in London.

Duncan Grant was affiliated with the Bloomsbury group, he was openly homosexual yet also had an affair and daughter with Vanessa. This was an open liberal relationship questioning the sanctity of marriage and what is acceptable to society.

The Omega group (1913 – 1919) was a group of artists to make money in commercial application of their art. These workshops were established by Roger Fry the brain behind this group with directors Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant, Wyndam Lewis. This work has the essential concept of handcrafted art that is not mass produced, they are all individual with lots of mark making and decoration. In 1914 the Omega group produced a decorative catalogue, this work shows bright colour, it can be reduced visual style, and some geometric and patterned work.

Wyndam Lewis was not a British member or Omega and as a result of a dispute with Fry he began a rebel art centre. This work was taxing intellectual art with a futuristic style, known as Vorticism. This art was energetic work that could be described as animated madness. There are similarities to cubism but this work includes strong sense of depth and was very different to Bloomsbury.

‘Blast’ is a Vorticism manifesto which is mainly text based, it was produced in June 1914 incredibly close to the start of world war one. The cover of blest is very much a statement with its sans serif text  and reduced type face, it is large at an angle giving it a geometric hard modern image, even the word itself is hard. ‘Blast 2 War Number’ (1915) this work is still very focused on mechanised imagery and warfare machines.

In 1912 Virginia married and Lennon Woolf, the couple are both writers and extremely intellectually capable. In 1917 the couple bought a hand printing press the first publication from this was ‘Two Stories’ one by Virginia and one by Lennon, there was 150 limited edition copies printed, and they named their publication ‘The Hogarth Press’.  By 1921 it became a well established and well known publishing house, they produced hand rendered dust jackets with a spontaneous and free aesthetic. Vanessa Bell did a lot of illustrations for her sister all with reduced colour because of costs. Vita Sackville West formed a love affair and lesbian relationship with Virginia which was open and well documented in publishing.

In Charleston Vanessa created an outpost to Bloomsbury after having another daughter this time with Duncan Grant. This home was an ideal escape in the country side where many artists visited. Theo outcome of this different setting was much softer paintings and interestingly Vanessa began decorating everything in this house, painting every surface possible. This could be an antidote to the horrors and killing of the war, these decorations were typically English in floral, rounded and approachable aesthetics which is very different to Vorticism.

Stories (Comics)

Daniel Clowes the illustrator had a childhood revolving around drawing and comics were his only entertainment, this resulted in numerous successful comics of his own. Ghost world is one of these showing a lot of fine detail and a fluent drawing style, this style counter acts the messages in the story. Eightball is a much more personal underground comic that focuses on the intolerance in suburban desperation. This comic is honest and an uncomfortable reality of Daniel Clowes and his depression, with no filter it shows what is real. Eightball (1989-2004) is aimed at the man in the street with moving and engaging works of art drawing you into the story.

Art Spiegelmen created imagery to represent events of the holocaust using cats and mice as the Germans and Jews. This is a very shocking story to choose to display as images, one that Spiegelmen has approached with particular care but still portraying the horrors that occurred.

Charles M. Shoulz was the writer and illustrator for a very successful comic strip ‘Peanuts’ (1950-2000). Although this group of characters was created for a young audience of children there is a strong depressive underlying story, especially in the character of ‘Charlie Brown’.

Manga is a huge aspect of cartoon selling 2 million comics a day in Japan, most of which are aggressive, strong and dynamic. The name manga means random sketches. These comics could be violent and vibrant to form an escape from a repressed reality. In the 19^th Century mass production of manga comics erupted due to the new block printing process. A children’s comic ‘Misoko Rocks’ was strongly influenced by ‘Eightball’ even with the difference in style and origin.