Paper Trumpets #30: Feeling Disconnected From Nature
[T]he finding, cutting, and pasting process constantly offers me new perspectives on how I see the world around me.
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Join NOW![T]he finding, cutting, and pasting process constantly offers me new perspectives on how I see the world around me.
...moreI like how these collages blend the cute innocence of 1950s clean-cut America with the slimy menace of tree-clinging serpents. It’s like a toddler version of the Garden of Eden.
...moreI’m not going to get brainy and talk about the mathematics of triangles; I simply like the visual energy in its slants, which, depending on its position in a collage, can suggest movement, growth, or escape.
...moreI wanted to put that image inside a scene that disrupts the beauty of it.
...moreThis is part of the mystery and sometimes frustration of doing collage—trying to remember where things came from.
...moreIf you tell yourself you’re going to work in an abstract style, is that too premeditated? I wonder if abstract is just another word for accidental.
...moreOne of my favorite revelations from the past year has been the discovery of old high school yearbooks.
...moreSometimes you just come across magazine covers that look like finished pieces of art.
...more…editing a collage can be like editing a poem or a story. The act of taking things out will often make a piece breathe easier and come to life with a simpler beauty.
...moreI often buy random photographs in thrift stores and vintage shops when I’m drawn to something in them—an awkward smile, a twinkle in the eye, a revealing hint of uncertainty.
...moreThis is the 20th Paper Trumpets column, and to celebrate the occasion, we’re giving away original collages to 10 lucky commenters!
...moreThese three collages were inspired by a 1988 book called Reader’s Digest Action Guide: What To Do in an Emergency.
...moreSometimes you don’t see the full potential of an image until you cut it away from its original context.
...moreI watched the video of the fight online but the camera angle lowers so you don’t get to see this famous moment.
...morePeople may think cats are so 2014, but I beg to differ. Cats are forever!
...moreThe images and text on this collage are from an old Christmas book called Baby’s First Christmas, a short picture book published in 1983. I took the story text (about 100 words) and re-arranged it into a sort of dada holiday poem.
...moreSometimes I don’t realize I’m doing something clever until later.
...moreMost turkeys, even uncooked ones, cannot fly very well. This must be a magical floating turkey.
...moreI made this one on a block of wood… I like the natural feel that the wood creates and it makes a great background that gives the collage pieces a disembodied feel.
...moreI love it when there are sports images in collages, especially older photos. There’s a reason why throwback uniforms are so popular.
...moreHappy Halloween season! I’ve been collaging with scary monster images lately.
...moreThe latest installment of Paper Trumpets feature two collages stemming from one LIFE Magazine image.
...moreI love how paper from that century—or anything over 100 years old—ages and changes color around the edges.
...moreThe love of a woman and her cat can’t be denied.
...moreI find that slapstick violence can be pretty funny in collage art. Like visual satire.
...more…I suspect that this particular Mudman would win this battle against these thin, preppy hipsters (or maybe they’re young Republicans).
...moreEnemies are indeed a sad nuisance.
...moreI almost ran this collage last week but thought it might’ve been early to spring nudity on you. Since this is the third installment of Paper Trumpets (our third date!), I decided that now is the time. I hope you still respect me in the morning.
...moreI like combining joyful images with something dangerous or mysterious (I’m not sure about the reptile tail but I like how it adds a balance to it all).
...morePaper Trumpets is a venue for me to share my own developing work and also to share my enthusiasm for the process of the art form and the growing community of awesome collagists out there all over the world.
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