I was honored to be invited to show my work in COllage, a celebration of Colorado artists who work with collage methodologies, this fall at the Arvada Center. It was a beautifully diverse exhibition showcasing the work of 15 artists in the main gallery…
"These artists use the act of layering to explore memory, identity, passion, and place, transforming everyday materials into powerful statements. Whether stitched, glued, painted, or constructed, each piece invites you to look closer, to uncover hidden meanings, and to rethink what collage can be. Step into a world where fragments become stories, and where the familiar is made new; this is collage as you’ve never seen it before."
Several series of my works were included… I’ve written about each and will include the Collage Diary portions of the show in a follow-up post (part 2).
ThroughLines series
These collages (seen above left on black wall) are visual riffs on all that we carry within: explorations of the processes in our minds as we manage issues of bandwidth, multitasking and overwhelm—alongside goals of simplicity, mindfulness and purpose.
Each collage represents a moment in time, full of multi-layered and competing thoughts, hopes, fears, dreams, and memories—all moving forward and influencing each other—glimpses of the landscape of my mind.
The collages are composed with horizontal strips of paper, to portray the layers of thought or concern. The strips are sourced from discarded magazines, newspapers, books, packaging and junk mail and “cut” by ripping them against a ruler. I apply the papers using a wet working process and the papers tighten across the wood panel as they dry, giving the overall collage a flatter and more cohesive feeling. Each of the collages start with a single strip. None are planned in advance, each one just evolves.
I was intrigued when the curator of the show, Collin Parson, felt they might be interesting to display as art objects rather than just hung. So he placed them along a shelf — I like the idea that a collector could rearrange them at will. Many of the paper strips wrap around the edges so they have a more dimensional dynamic when seen in person, rather than the thumbnail views below.
Above works are all collage on 10x10x1” wood panels, titled (left to right): shelf installation, Wild Thing, Never Lose Heart, Deep Dive, Folly, Conundrum, Daydream, and Self-Imposed Labyrinth.
This series stems from a show of the same name, which I wrote about back in 2018, for further information check out these blog posts:
ThroughLines show prep
ThroughLines Exhibition Opening / Views
All Through(Lines)... moving on
Unboxed series
Selections from the Unboxed series on view in COllage, with collage diary projection in niche at right.
This series of works is about exploring the edges... I had wondered what it would be like to work on more casual pieces with random edges, pushing collage beyond the boundaries of straight edged boards/supports. One day I realized I had a lot to work with in my own home!
As I deconstruct and flatten boxes for recycling, I’m often struck by the elegance of these common materials. The packages have surprising perimeters that are revealed once taken apart, and unexpected details in their construction. Each box brings its own history of purpose, content, transport and consumption.
The unfolded boxes become platforms and integral parts of my collage compositions, where I can explore ideas of transformation and ruminate on interior spaces that are now exposed. I’m also forced to confront the incredible amount of discarded material that is generated every day.
I’m responding to their varied shapes and scored fold lines with found and recycled papers. The hard edges of the diecut boxes provide a counterpoint to the ripped paper elements that I use in these collages. An unexpected and added bonus: I love the shadows they make when hung.
Close-up views of a few from the Unboxed series on display are shown below…
This series stems from a show of the same name, which I wrote about back in 2016, for further information check out this blog post:
Unboxed... a stealth project (until now)
A few of my recent abstract works on display in COllage, with collage diaries in case in the foreground and ThroughLines in background.
Abstract series
I also make elegant abstract collages with salvaged materials, collected from my daily life and wanderings. I'm most attracted to imagery that yields great color, texture or shape. Much of this content comes from areas that were not intended to be the subjects of a photo I may be evaluating. I think that's largely because my artist uncle taught me to draw by studying the negative spaces around a subject and I continue to incorporate that way of seeing and thinking in my collage work.
This series was inspired by the work that I've been doing in my collage diary in recent years. I wanted to explore that sensibility of dynamic composition and scale it up to create larger, more refined, collage images.
Unlike many collage-makers, I don't use scissors. I use torn elements in my work because I like the organic edges and exposed paper fibers -- as well as the immediacy of the ripping, which has become an artistic gesture akin to drawing for me. So the only straight lines you'll see are the edges of a page that may have been incorporated or a straight line that's found within an image.
I continue to be fascinated by how diverse fragments can be arranged and pushed into relationship with each other, creating entirely new imagery.
Above works are all collages on watercolor paper, framed to 22x17”, titled (left to right): Essence, Empathy, and Spirit.
I’ll be back soon to write about the collage diary portion of the exhibition (Part 2)… stay tuned!