A Brief History of Collage:
Derived from the French verb coller, meaning “to glue,” collage (pronounced ko·laje) is a work of art made by gluing things to the surface. Collage became an art form during the Synthetic Cubist period of Picasso and Braque. This period ran from 1912 until 1914. At first, Pablo Picasso glued oil cloth to the surface of “Still Life with Chair Caning” in May of 1912. He also glued a rope around the edge of the oval canvas. Georges Braque then glued imitation wood-grained wallpaper to his “Fruit Dish and Glass” (September 1912). During the Dada movement of 1916 through 1923, collage appeared once again. Hannah Höch (German, 1889–1978) glued bits of photographs from magazines and advertising in such works as “Cut with a Kitchen Knife” (1919-20). Fellow Dadaist Kurt Schwitters (German, 1887–1948) also glued bits of paper he found in newspapers, advertisements, and other discarded matter beginning in 1919. Schwitters called his collages and assemblages “Merzbilder.” The word was derived by combining the German word “Kommerz” (Commerce, as in banking) which had been on a fragment of an advertisement in his first work, and bilder (German for “pictures”). Many early Surrealists also incorporated collage into their work. The process of assembling objects fit perfectly into the often ironic work of these artists. Among the better examples is the art of one of the few female Surrealists, Eileen Agar. Her piece “Precious Stones” (1936) assembles an antique jewelry catalog page with a cutout of a human figure layered over colorful papers. All of this work from the first half of the 20th century has inspired new generations of artists. Many continue to employ collage in their work.
Part 1: Hands-On
Create a collage (with construction paper, magazines, and/or digital sources) that uses the principles of design. The focus of your collage should be the overall composition and use the principles of design: balance, emphasis and focal point, scale and proportion, pattern, repetition and rhythm, and unity and variety. You will write about these after making the piece.
Your design can be abstract, representational, figurative, or otherwise reflect your own interests. It can represent you or current events. Plan ahead by lightly drawing on a sheet of paper (construction paper or from your notebook). The overall size should be around 8.5” by 11” or standard paper size. Cover or erase all drawn elements. Simple is sometimes best in design- it does not need to be elaborate. Consider different ways to use paper other than cutting and pasting: tearing, crumpling, weaving, and layering, for example. If you need inspiration I recommend looking at Matisse’s Cut Out paintings. A link to some examples of his work is below, as well as some examples by past students and contemporary artists.
You will be graded on well you incorporate and describe the principles in your collage, and neatness. You will not be graded on artistic ability, as this is not a studio course. It must be your work, though!
Part 2: Written
Briefly describe your work and any personal meaning that you would like to share. Write a brief description of how and where each principle is used in your collage. Use complete sentences. The writing must include at least one sentence per principle used. Use the elements of art to support your reasoning: line, shape, space, mass, light, color, texture, time, and motion. Be specific. Below is a cutout by Henri Matisse and some examples of writing describing the use of design principles.
cutout.jpg
“This collage uses the principle of symmetrical balance because if it was folded in half, the two sides would mirror one another almost equally. The principle of variety is shown through a pattern of flowers in different bright colors.”
This project will be graded as follows:
6 or more principles, neatness (no glue or pencil showing), only paper elements are used, written component describing how the principles of design are used in the collage and supported by the elements of art: 100 points
5 principles, neatness (no glue or pencil showing), written component describing how the principles are used in the collage: : 90 points
4 principles, some glue or pencil marks showing, writing component is vague in describing how the principles are used in the collage: : 80 points
3 principles, glue and pencil showing, writing does not reflect the principles : 70 points
2 principles, lack of neatness and effort, no written portion: 60 points
1 principle, little effort, no written portion: 50 points
Pencils, paint and other materials can be used. Digital collage work made in a computer program such as Photoshop or Illustrator, or a similar program, will also be accepted. Work made through a collage app, such as Pic Collage, will not be accepted.
To turn in your project, scan your collage or take a photograph (cell phone images are fine). Upload your image and writing.
A link to Henri Matisse: Link (Links to an external site.)
Student work examples:
Student Example 2.jpg
Student Example 3.jpg
Student Example.png
Contemporary and Historical Artist Examples:
Hannah Hoch.jpg Hannah Hoch
Man Ray (2).jpg Man Ray
Jesse Treece.jpg
Jesse Treece
Martha Rosler.jpg
Martha Rosler
The post Female Surrealists first appeared on COMPLIANT PAPERS.
