Collage - the art of ‘broken’ promise
Charmaine Fernando
Derived from the French word coller, meaning, to glue, colour,
material, glue and form take centre stage in this vibrant art form which
is an ideal medium of expression for children who need to grow in their
motor abilities.. It is an interesting medium to work with provided
one’s eye is sharp enough to see shapes and forms in the printed pages
and creative enough to move them around to create a unique piece of art.
In technical and scientific terms it is a formal art form in the visual
medium, that through the assemblage of different forms creates a whole.
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A digital collage |
A collage may be created with newspaper or magazine clippings, bits
and pieces of pictures or other artworks, photographs and any raw or
used material, some times in relief, glued to a backdrop of paper,
canvas or board as per artist’s liking, to create the desired
impression. This medium of art which traces back to hundreds of years
made a dramatic reappearance in the 20th century as a whole innovative
art form to lift modern art to new heights of exhilarating experience.
The word ‘collage’ was coined by Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso
making it a distinctive part of modern art in the twentieth century.
History of collage
Techniques of collage were first used at the time of the invention of
paper in China, around 200 BC. The use of collage, however, remained
very limited until the 10th century in Japan, when calligraphers began
to apply glued paper, using texts on surfaces, when writing their poems.
The technique of collage appeared in medieval Europe during the 13th
century. Gold leaf panels started to be applied in Gothic cathedrals
around the 15th and 16th centuries. Gemstones and other precious metals
were applied to religious images, icons, and also, to coats of arms.
In the 19th century, collage methods also were used among hobbyists
for memorabilia.
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A woman in digital collage |
Modern art and collage
The 19th century tradition of physically joining multiple images into
a composite and photographing the results prevailed in press photography
and offset lithography until the widespread use of digital image
editing. Contemporary photo editors in magazines now create “paste-ups”
digitally.
Creating a photo montage has, for the most part, become easier with
the advent of computer software such as Adobe Photoshop, Pixel image
editor, and GIMP.
These programs make the changes digitally, allowing for faster work
flow and more precise results. They also mitigate mistakes by allowing
the artist to “undo” errors.
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A collage - ‘Beatles’ |
Yet some artists are pushing the boundaries of digital image editing
to create extremely time-intensive compositions that rival the demands
of the traditional arts.
The current trend is to create pictures that combine painting,
theatre, illustration and graphics in a seamless photographic whole.
Digital collage
Digital collage is the technique of using computer tools in collage
creation to encourage chance associations of disparate visual elements
and the subsequent transformation of the visual results through the use
of electronic media. It is commonly used in the creation of digital art.
The fascinating medium of collage, created out of torn, stripped,
strewn, crumpled or plain cut off assortment of material, gathered in to
a whole, mesmerizing picture, whether in digital form or base relief,
will continue to lift the realms of modern art in to the next level.. It
is amazing how the broken pieces of colour and form would merge or
overlap in blended synthesis to emerge as an art form of great promise. |
