Dada Inspired Collage

*Note: the collage can go either way. I chose to upload a photo with it in this direction, but look at it upside down as well!

Artist's Statement: Dada Inspired Collage

Jillian Wight

Andreson

Foundations of Art

March 23, 2020

The images I included in my collage were unintentional at first. I selected a Smithsonian magazine with an intriguing cover and ripped pages out that I thought featured interesting images or text. Once I had gone through the magazine, I began to cut out a few shapes I was particularly interested in. This was the man looking at the cross, the red tongue-like extension emerging from the cross, and the blue woman behind him. I then began to examine other Dada work and explored different ways I could modify these images to give them an anti-art, unrealistic, almost creepy sort of quality. From that original point onward, I continued to cut out images I’m already gathered, and play around with different arrangements. I tried my best to combine faces and different features to convey the almost dreamlike, dark element of Dada work. I also struggled to show movement in the composition of the faces I included. In the end, I created an undulating sort of bubble of people in the bottom left of the image that I was very happy with. The top half of the image is more war-related compared to the civilian focused bottom. I tried to convey messages about protection, as well as the horrors of war and the complex sadness of the deaths of those involved. However, I made sure to do so with images, so the viewer could interpret the artwork more-or-less how they wished. I included some words but I didn’t want to explain the meaning of the collage with letters because I felt that it would stunt the viewer’s ability to be creative and imaginative.

I can draw a number of connections between the images I chose. First, the energy of the piece is conducted largely through faces, human features. The significance of the piece is also focused around humans, which is why faces were my primary image of choice. Although I had a deeper meaning in mind, related to the horror of war compared to the attraction of it, I wanted to let this influence the piece only loosely, so a viewer was able to give it a meaning that was significant to them on a more personal level. So, I included reaching arms to show the necessity/glory of war on the bottom half, as well as figures whose faces reflected a sort of lust, hunger, or greed. To show an opposite reality/flip, I included an upside-down skyline to separate the halves of the piece, however, I wanted to show that the halves were not rigid so I ensured that this didn’t read all the way across, and some arms broke through. On the top half, I maintained the human focus, to connect the two sections. However, I illustrated the death and destruction of war. In these ways, my images were all connected and intentional.

As I touched on previously, the juxtaposition of my images doesn’t suggest a story, but rather an idea, which was purposeful on my part. However, as I was going, I added things that may hint at other stories, such as the images of women whose faces were covered by darker pictures, or the theme of covered eyes. I also made sure to leave the piece’s significance somewhat up to the viewer. To finish the piece, I added light patterns that connected and unified the page, as well as using some of the negative space. I added the color red to bring darker undertones to these patterns. Overall, I’m very happy with the outcome of my page! However, if I was able to do it again, I might adjust the top half to arrange the images in a bit of a more interesting manner, although I am proud of my composition with the soldier’s head and crashing plane.

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Artist's Statement: Dada Inspired Collage Project

Jillian Wight

Andreson

Foundations of Art

April 1, 2020

To create my collage and reproduce it, I used a wide range of materials. I started by laying out a piece of sturdy, white paper. Then, I gathered photos from magazines at my house that I thought may be useful, and cut them out. Using a pencil, I sketched my plan onto the paper. Then, I began to arrange the cut out pieces of my college and glue them down, using Elmer’s glue. Once I had come up with a composition that was engaging and cohesive, I added smudges of black, red, and white paint. I chose these colors to match the feel of the dark, almost creepy, Dada undertones. I placed the paint in places where space needed to be filled, or objects needed to be connected and altered. To touch everything off, I used a pen to add lines and a red marker to highlight them. For the reproduction, I experimented with ways I could successfully transfer images. At first, I tried simply looking at a picture while sketching what I saw, but it was difficult to get the right proportions so I decided to line the papers up and mark important places along the edges where lines ended and began. I then used these as guides and sketched a pencil outline of each shape. To fill it in, I used a pen and simply went from bottom to top, shading and outlining figures. Once I have finished with pen, I erased the pencil that was present. In the few large spaces I had left open, I decided to glue yarn in. However, it ended up drawing attention from stronger aspects of my piece, and overall I hated the effect. I decided to wipe off the yarn and use markers and pens instead. I filled these spaces instead with intricate pen patterns, adding marker to mimic the patterns on the original collage. Finally, to add the element of emphasis and interest into the reproduction, I chose simple, almost grungy colors to highlight some of my drawings. Overall, I liked both of my pieces. I wouldn’t deny that there is room for improvement, but being the first collage I’ve done in a while, I’m very happy with the results! I would say that my project evolved from a jumble of pictures and colors to a much more cohesive and effective piece.

In my piece, a number of elements of art were utilized. First, I used lines, especially in the reproduction. My shading, shaping, and refining was done wholly out of line work in pen, which came together to form a replica of my collage. I also used lines to fill in spaces that were large and part of the background, to give them interest and make them pop less than the complex figures in front. In both the original collage and the reproduction, I used lines to lightly trace the edges of each shape, effectively unifying the piece and creating a more balanced, consistent look throughout. These lines did so by establishing a sense of familiarity in every aspect of the collage, no matter how strange it was. Shape was also an extremely important step, and my focus on this element occured mainly in the original collage production phase. When I was going through magazines, I looked for intriguing photos that were complicated enough to create an engaging shape. In the arrangement especially, I focused on using unique shapes that may not be traditional in order to establish movement in the collage. The strange, undulating manner in which I completed the faces and images in each half of the piece helped guide the viewer's eye, and illustrate movement, rather than a more stagnant image. Without the focus that I gave to choosing shapes that would represent the idea of movement, I would never have been able to achieve this. Color was important, but I didn’t focus much on it. In the collage production phase, I payed little attention to the shades and tints of my images. However, there were a few instances in which color played a significant role, such as the firey red tounge, the pink bow and hat, and the blue woman’s face, which contrasted with the duller colors it surrounded. Overall, the addition of bright pops of color created a sense of balance in the halfs of the paper. I also used color in the reproduction phase, although to be honest, there was little thought behind the exact choices I made. Space was another important element in my piece. When I had finished with the images I’d chosen, I knew that I wanted to add words. However, I didn’t know how to effectively use text to fill an area. To help the collage flow, I added paint in the spaces that were white and empty. I then used text to cover the paint, giving it a more complete feeling. As well as this, space was used to create tension between the two halfs of the piece, which just barely touched, but still left a small gap in between. I believe that this artistic choice emphasized the separate halfs, encouraging a viewer to explore each one’s significant and deeper meaning. Finally, I used pen and ink to create value in the reproduction, more effectively conveying the imagery and ideas present in the origional collage. Value played a huge role in bringing the piece to life, and illustrating the textures and forms present. I believe that my use of texture emphasized separate shapes and faces, better allowing the piece to be seen, but not overwhelming a veiwer.

I’ll pull a little bit from the artist statement I wrote for the original collage here. “I had a deeper meaning in mind, related to the horror of war compared to the attraction of it, I wanted to let this influence the piece only loosely, so a viewer was able to give it a meaning that was significant to them on a more personal level. So, I included reaching arms to show the necessity/glory of war on the bottom half, as well as figures whose faces reflected a sort of lust, hunger, or greed. To show an opposite reality/flip, I included an upside-down skyline to separate the halves of the piece, however, I wanted to show that the halves were not rigid so I ensured that this didn’t read all the way across, and some arms broke through. On the top half, I maintained the human focus, to connect the two sections. However, I illustrated the death and destruction of war.” This idea came together as I went, so it is strong enough to guide some of my choices but loose enough to leave the piece abstract. The project doesn’t relate strongly to my life, although some of the imagery does have significance to me. My grandfather was a colonel in the Vietnam war, and so the words and pictures on the page allow me to think more deeply about what he experienced, and about the turmoil at the time. Other than that, the only relation the piece has to be is the color choices and general style that I chose to express my ideas! In my work, I am proudest of my ability to create the effect of movement out of still images, and the way I was able to jumble up a series of images to create a cohesive product. I think it came out really well. The only struggle I had was the addition of yarn, and when I saw that it wasn’t going to work, I had no problem taking it off. The only lasting effects were a bit of messiness and a bit of damage to the pens I used over the areas.

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