WORDS TO LIVE BY
“An artist is someone who can hold two opposing viewpoints and still remain fully functional.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald
The latest collage news and inspiration!
Enjoy!
Substack, this here newsletter platform, offers paid subscriptions, but this is no paywall. We believe in making art accessible to the widest possible audience, and our newsletter will remain free for anyone to read. Opting for a paid subscription is a way to support the collective and all we do. So is signing up to our Artist Directory. Think about it :)
NEWS
EXHIBITION: CURIOUS - collages by Ian Tothill: Ian’s interest in Collage making was sparked by making an image for his daughter’s zine during lockdown in 2020. He has been playing with paper every since and has had work included in collage books and several group exhibitions around the world. Curious is a collection of collages made from all kinds of discarded materials - old books, packaging, envelops, photos, magazines, flyers and more. They have been reassembled to form pictures which reflect his curiosity about colour, ideas, memory, shape, stories. Some are abstract, others are populated by characters and images given new life with imagined narratives. Ian is the founder of South Square Collage Club, a monthly gathering of people who want to have a go at collage, the most accessible medium.
Berkenblit recently began integrating pieces of Kozo paper into her gouache compositions. The behavior of this paper - made from the fiber of mulberry trees and full of texture - opened up exciting ways to layer color and surface. By cutting out shapes, or ripping it into strips to retain a feathered edge, she could both manipulate the material with precision and also work with uncontrollable surprise and chance. - Ellen Berkenblit Presents New Series of Works on Paper - via Juxtapoz
Some of the paintings take their inspiration from “the islands in Greece, where the incredible beauty of the blue sea and sky contrast with the stark white stucco buildings dotting the landscape.” Others are collages pieced together from other paintings and monotype prints Atlas made, “to reconstruct new images from old” in nonrepresentational fashion. Finally, a third group of paintings “explore the process of using line, color, shape, and texture to intuitively create a conversation between what is on the canvas and what is to come.” - Artist Takes Abstract Trip - via New Haven Independent
The Matisse Collage Project by Art Projects for Kids is designed to help young art students delve deeper into their creativity using simple materials. Inspired by the artist’s Creole Dancer artwork, the process starts with arranging blocky shapes from colored paper, followed by layering abstract elements—such as stars and swirls—to create a vibrant, dynamic composition. However, there’s a bit more to it than just cutting and pasting. - Step-By-Step Guide Reveals How to Craft Your Own Matisse-Inspired Paper Collage - via My Modern Met
Butler’s style combines many artistic mediums, including collages, photography and painting. He enjoys telling stories and educating people through his work, and he says collage art is the best way to express himself to his audience. - Butler’s art journey: From Milwaukee to Houston, pursuing dreams - via Defender
Ella Walker’s paintings are layered in every sense of the word. Informed by traditional painting techniques as well as drawing and collage, her pieces depict figures with knowing or emotionally complex expressions, inviting the viewer to untangle the rich scenes in front of them. - 'There is beauty there but it’s also a bit subverted': Ella Walker at Pilar Corrias - via Wallpaper*
Explore the captivating work of mixed media artist Erica Hart, who combines collage, assemblage, and painting to create visual mysteries. - Mixed Media Mastery: Erica Hart’s Visual Mysteries - via Radio Catskill
PCC
A selection of challenge submissions from last week is up on our website and can be seen here, the image prompt for next week is available to download here
Our 2024 Workbook is out and available for sale on our website. Our weekly creative challenge remains free and open to everyone and everything, digital or analog artists, French or not. The workbook is an optional add-on for those who prefer to work with paper and don’t want to print our images themselves. Like every year, the book is designed so that you can either take it apart or create your collages in the book itself. Week numbers and image sources are on the back of each image, so even if your books falls apart at one point, you will always know what’s what!
And last but not least, have a look at and/or submit to our ‘other’ Instagram account Paris Collage Collective Unlimited where we showcase collages that have absolutely nothing to do with our weekly creative challenge.
If you have any news about exhibitions, publications or events you want so share with the community, please send an email with all relevant information and at least one link to a website or venue to: hello@pariscollagecollective.com