“And that’s why I’ve chosen to write these pages as I’ve written them. For only by stepping into the middle zone, the polychrome edge between truth and untruth, is it tolerable to be here and writing this at all. Whatever teaches us to talk to ourselves is important: whatever teaches us to sing ourselves out of despair. But the painting has also taught me that we can speak to each other across time. And I feel I have something very serious and urgent to say to you, my non-existent reader, and I feel I should say it as urgently as if I were standing in the room with you. That life – whatever else it is – is short. That fate is cruel but maybe not random. That Nature (meaning Death) always wins but that doesn’t mean we have to bow and grovel to it. That maybe even if we’re not always so glad to be here, it’s our task to immerse ourselves anyway: wade straight through it, right through the cesspool, while keeping eyes and hearts open. And in the midst of our dying, as we rise from the organic and sink back ignominiously into the organic, it is a glory and a privilege to love what Death doesn’t touch. For if disaster and oblivion have followed this painting down through time – so too has love. Insofar as it is immortal (and it is) I have a small, bright, immutable part in that immortality. It exists; and it keeps on existing. And I add my own love to the history of people who have loved beautiful things, and looked out for them, and pulled them from the fire, and sought them when they were lost, and tried to preserve them and save them while passing them along literally from hand to hand, singing out brilliantly from the wreck of time to the next generation of lovers, and the next.”
— Donna Tartt, The Goldfinch
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NEWS
EXHIBITION: the closing event of the #Connections exhibition on October 5th, where 7 collage artists (@cristiana.bucureci, @dada.collage, @filters.of.perception, @nicoababei.artjourney, @ruxandra_niculae1, @flowers_fortherobot, and @andreiargeseanu) will showcase digital and analog works in the heart of Bucharest, in a historically significant building at @carturesticarusel.
"Through collage, we are inviting the viewer to witness the beauty of connections, how a smile can transcend language, how an idea can inspire across borders, and how a touch can convey more than words. It celebrates the intricate dance of moments and the symphony of relationships that shape our lives. Just as each piece enriches the collage, every connection enriches the human experience, reminding us of our shared journey in this intricate mosaic of our existence. "
EXHIBITION: collage exhibition in Paris, September 28 - October 1st
READ: Peek into the studio of a collage artist, overflowing with colorful paper, and your first thought might be, "It's time to declutter." But each scrap and trimming, once cast off, has been carefully filed for a future project—a very important piece to a puzzle that has yet to be visualized.
Mixed-media collage is a complex artform that saw its first breath in the early 20th century with cubist artists Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso. So these five artists are the latest in a long tradition of creating art from fragmented pieces. Each has a fresh take on collage, utilizing unique materials and life experiences in their creative processes - 5 Midwest Collage Artists Making Magic with Paper - via Midwest Living
READ: The exhibit at The Palace Gallery, “Easing into Hope: Recent Collages by Lisa Sheets,” features mixed media analog collages that “explore history, gender roles and cultural norms and how these things impact our lives,” she writes. Sheets uses combinations of religious and historical iconography along with pop culture images to “stress the sacred in our modern-day lives. - The Arts Scene: Collages 'explore history, gender roles, cultural norms'- via Yakima Herald
READ: Portland-based artist Alexis Hilliard describes her collages as “visual symphonies,” blending numerous photographs and archival materials to create harmonious compositions. “Sometimes I use whole photos, not cut up much. That’s like sampling a bass line,” she tells Colossal. “Other times, I’m only using a tiny color swatch, so that’s more like adding a simple note into the mix.” - In Detailed Paper Collages, Alexis Hilliard Delves Into Depth and Drama - via This is Colossal
AWARDS: Two more days to submit to Contemporary Collage Magazine’s 2023 Awards. Deadline September 30th. More info here
PCC: 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!
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
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