15″x20″; paper collage; 2013. Courtesy of the artist.
COLLAGE ON VIEW
Michael Toti Collage
at New England Arts Gallery in Canton, Connecticut, USA
8 May-8 June 2022
Connecticut-based collage artist Michael Toti has written about his collage work:
One of the things I like about collage is the process of combining images and developing a new interpretation of the original form. For me, the process is about searching, looking at image after image and trying to find the connections between one image and the other. Sometimes there is an epiphany, but most times it simply involves time and work to find the right parts to fulfill the vision in my head and sometimes the images I find will alter the direction.
20″x15″; watercolor, image transfer and paper collage; 2022. Courtesy of the artist.
I am also drawn to textural elements, bits of paper that have been run over by cars, they are worn and distressed and it changes their character. Tickets with numbers or letters, postage stamps, and bits of typography appeal to the graphic side of me. But they function more as symbols or shapes rather than message.
Recently I have started adding more colour to the backgrounds hoping to add more contrasts and texture to the image. I am also exploring a less refined approach to the drawing trying to feed off of the movements that the backgrounds create.
INFORMATION
New England Arts Gallery
166 Albany Turnpike
Canton, Connecticut 06019 USA
(860) 693-1000
Hours:
Friday-Sunday, Noon-5PM