Collage

Collage is a technique of pasting materials such as newspaper clippings, fur, wall paper, package labels, or dozens of other possible materials onto paintings, drawings, prints, even sculpture. By adding a “collage” an artist can change the nature of what he or she is creating, providing a new dimension for a work of art. Collage also influences the perception of a viewer, thereby changing the relationship of the observer to the art object in a meaningful manner. In some ways collage is a short cut, a time saving device that might eliminate the need to paint some areas of a canvas.

Both Picasso and Braque were influenced by the writings, theories, and paintings of Paul Cezanne. Along with another group, they began to paint in an abstract geometric style later referred to as analytic cubism. In an effort to return to a more realistic form of painting, they retained the geometric format but began to incorporate such realistic materials into their work as sand, newspapers, and strin. They built up areas and added texture in unorthodox ways by also including such items as hair, feathers, cloth, and even tickets and old matchbooks. Thus collage as a true art form was born as a result of the transition from analytic cubism to synthetic cubism.

However, collage did not stop at the two-dimensional level. The Dadaists used collage effectively to express their views of society by gluing together discarded everyday items. One of their most famous works is "The Urinal" by Marcel Duchamp. The word "collage" is taken from the French verb "coller", which means to paste or glue. The beginning of a collage is the pasting or gluing of paper to paper, of paper to board, or any of several materials to each other.

Collage today is an accepted and valued art form. It allows the artist the freedom to approach the medium in whatever manner is pleasing and does not restrict him/her to any format or material. This medium is a direct form of communication for an artist. That is, it allows one to work with whatever materials he/she chooses. Collage is different from other art forms because it does not dictate a particular style. Style is often controlled by materials and because the materials are never the same for any two persons, the style of collage is always a variable. Collage is an excellent medium for both the beginner and the experienced artist. The inventiveness and creativity used in a collage usually do not result from experience but from a willingness to experiment with the basic proceedure.

Collage in painting

Collage in the modernist sense began with Cubist painters Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso. According to some sources, Picasso was the first to use the collage technique in oil paintings. According to the Guggenheim Museum's online article about collage, Braque took up the concept of collage itself before Picasso, applying it to charcoal drawings. Picasso adopted collage immediately after and was perhaps indeed the first to use collage in paintings, as opposed to drawings.

"It was Braque who purchased a roll of simulated oak-grain wallpaper and began cutting out pieces of the paper and attaching them to his charcoal drawings. Picasso immediately began to make his own experiments in the new medium."

Cubomania

Cubomania is a collage made by cutting an image into squares which are then reassembled automatically or at random. Collages produced using a similar, or perhaps identical, method are called etrécissements by Marcel Marien.

Decoupage

Decoupage is a type of collage usually defined as a craft. It is the process of placing a picture into an object for decoration. Decoupage can involve adding multiple copies of the same image, cut and layered to add apparent depth. The picture is often coated with varnish or some other sealant for protection.

In the early part of the 20th century, decoupage, like many other art methods, began experimenting with a less realistic and more abstract style.There are many varieties on the traditional technique involving purpose made 'glue' requiring fewer layers (often 5 or 20, depending on the amount of paper involved). Cut outs are also applied under glass or raised to give a three dimensional appearance according to the desire of the decouper.

Photomontage

Collage made from photographs, or parts of photographs, is called photomontage. Photomontage is the process of making a composite photograph by cutting and joining a number of other photographs. The composite picture was sometimes photographed so that the final image is converted back into a seamless photographic print. The same method is accomplished today using image-editing software. The technique is referred to by professionals as compositing.

  

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.