a compilation of 85 artists’ collaborative artworks by MJ Connors Davison
MJ Connors Davison writes about this book:
Origins Reimagined This book is a compilation of five years orchestrating an annual project based on the Surrealists’ game of “Exquisite Corpse”. In it, forty-one “bodies” are each composed of four sections: head, upper torso and arms, lower torso and upper legs, lower legs and feet. Each section was assigned to an artist or artists working in tandem. All created their collages in secrecy, building disparate parts toward whole bodies. MJ’s engagement with this topic began as a college graduate living in New York City. There, The Print Club put together an impactful salon style exhibit of “The Exquisite Corpse” engaging hundreds of artists. The experience resurfaced for her when, in 2021, she responded to Kolaj Magazine‘s call for regional projects to honor World Collage Day, held the second Saturday of May. MJ offered this cooperative game to artists around Portland, Oregon as a gesture towards healing the sense of isolation many were feeling due to the COVID epidemic. “Corpse” was changed to “Community” to emphasize the project’s collaborative vitality.
The Essence of Exquisite Community Each collage begins within a designated section of a length of paper. As each part is completed, it is concealed under a top sheet of paper and passed on to the next participant. There is an interdependence that ensures the body moves sequentially forward. Each artist’s section adds meaning and causes compositional shifts. A strange serendipity is always at work that results in colors, patterns, or content getting echoed throughout a whole body. And then, among a group of bodies, a next level of dynamics comes into play for an audience to ponder. Collectively, participants form a trust that what each creates will add value to the project’s overall impact.
Exquisite Community EVERY BODY 2021-2025 (detail)
From Various Venues to This Printed Book Exquisite Community began very humbly in 2021, inside MJ’s remodeled garage art studio in Southwest Portland. She was new to the local collage community and began her project outreach. Fortunately, twenty artists came forward to join her, willing to try this adventure requiring them to creatively connect within COVID restrictions. The process proved successful and the first five bodies were created! One involved five participants, rather than the standard four. The project continued to grow, averaging ten bodies each year. Over five years, 85 artists have created bodily sections, with about half as repeating participants. Subsequent venues include a multi-use studio, College Graduate Department, art gallery, and a library. Size-wise, the first five bodies were 42.5″x14″. The scale was then enlarged to 52″x17″, more closely mirroring human scale.
ABOUT THE BOOK Exquisite Community EVERY BODY 2021-2025 by MJ Connors Davison 17″x6.5″; 43 pages on semi-gloss cardstock wire-bound 41 illustrations made by the 85 artists Edition of 50 $35 USD Published by MJ Connors Davison, Portland, Oregon, USA, 2025.
Purchase the book by contacting the author via email or through Instagram.
