![\"Come](\"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Tumblr-Zach-Collins-Come-Home.jpg\")
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Kolaj Magazine contributor Cory W. Peeke<\/a> examines the phenomenon of Tumblr and its place in the world of collage in Issue Four<\/a>.<\/p>\n I must confess right off that I am totally obsessed with Tumblr, the free blog hosting platform which currently hosts over 91 million blogs. For those who are unfamiliar with Tumblr, it is a social network for bloggers who wish to post text, music, video and, especially, images. As Tumblr\u2019s motto exclaims, it allows you to \u201cfollow the world\u2019s creators.\u201d<\/p>\n There are Tumblr blogs for every taste and persuasion. There are music blogs, collection blogs, poetry blogs, museum blogs, and on and on, but given its particular format, Tumblr seems especially suited for the presentation of visual art. And indeed there are thousands of blogs on Tumblr that focus on all forms of art. It is these visual arts blogs and their array of imagery to which I\u2019ve become addicted. More specifically, I\u2019m a devoted follower of many of the Tumblr bloggers who dedicate their blog to promoting the work of artists working in collage.<\/p>\n The more of these blogs I followed and the more new art and artists I was introduced to the more I wanted to know something about the people behind the posts, the curators of the content. Who are these folks? Why do they do it? Are they collage artists, aficionados of the medium or both? I was curious as to what motivated them to dedicate so much of their time to sourcing and posting images.<\/p>\n I decided to reach out to a number of bloggers whose posts I follow and ask if they would give me some insight. I primarily chose to contact people who blogged mostly, if not exclusively, collage and who promoted an array of artists not just themselves. There are a number of bloggers out there, including myself, who promote almost exclusively their own work. While I follow many of these fantastic artists, people like Fred Free, Zach Collins, and Flore Kunst; I was more interested to find out what motivated the folks who promote the work of others. I eventually found several bloggers who agreed to answer my questions. Their blogs have as an eclectic an array of names as they do stylistic variety in the imagery they disseminate.<\/p>\n James Edward Callahan runs a blog with the wonderfully offensive title My Asshole Confounds the Louvre<\/a><\/em>. Callahan is a 20-year-old college student majoring in art history who resides in central Florida. He himself is a collagist and at times posts his own work on the blog, but more often than not he is bringing viewers\u2019 attention to the work of other collage makers. Callahan who expresses an affinity for old books and magazines, vintage paper and traditional cut and paste collage, also states that collage \u201cseems to be on a more personal level than other media.\u201d This sentiment is certainly one with which I identify. The tactile intimacy of the artist engaged with his idiosyncratic collection of material makes for works of art that are both highly personal for the artist and connect with the viewer.<\/p>\n Naomi Weekes, a 22-year-old studying at Goucher College, who curates the blog collagemecrazy.tumblr.com<\/a>, has a similar affinity for the personal touch of collage. She refers to herself as a \u201ctraditionalist\u201d who still uses a film camera and prefers to handwrite a letter rather than send a quick email. Weekes recognizes we live in a society that \u201cdoesn\u2019t honor and appreciate art as much as it used to.\u201d So she sees her blog as a way to encourage her followers to incorporate art into their everyday lives and hopes to motivate them to create their own collages. Weekes, like the others discussed here, brings work that might normally be seen by very few people to an audience of literally thousands.<\/p>\n The creators of theelectricbeef.com<\/a>, Joseph Kendrick and St. Francis Elevator Ride<\/a>, hate for good work to go unnoticed. The 28 and 30-year-old artists who run this wonderfully designed and visually enticing blog go out of their way to connect with artists (not just collage artists), promote their images and, unlike many blogs, provide context for the work. The Electric Beef\u00a0<\/em>goes beyond just being a blog that reblogs images to one that provides a platform for artists to promote both their images as well as the thinking behind them. As Kendrick says, \u201cOn Tumblr, you have an active community of invested individuals wanting to share what they\u2019ve done to inspire others.\u201d And the The Electric Beef<\/em>\u00a0is one of the most active members of that community posting, almost daily, works by a rich collection of challenging and inspiring artists. [Editor’s note: The Electric Beef<\/em>\u00a0closed as of 31 May 2013. The site remains up, but no more new posts will be made.]<\/p>\n 45-year-old Wellington, New Zealand artist and illustrator Peter Campbell (collageoftheweek.tumblr.com<\/a>) is not only interested in promoting contemporary collage, his own and others, but he hopes to introduce others to \u201cthe rich history and diversity of collage\u201d by posting images of rarely seen collage work from the earlier part of the 20th century as well as the work of artists from a wide variety of countries. Like the guys at The Electric Beef<\/em>, Campbell hopes that his posts will encourage followers to take a closer look at the artists and their larger body of work.<\/p>\n Polish artist\/designer Estera Lazowska (Feru-Leru.tumblr.com<\/a>) and Mike Hunter, who runs brainpaste.tumblr.com<\/a>, both use their blogs as much for their own inspiration as for that of their followers. Hunter sees it as a way to \u201cbuild a \u2018collection\u2019 of interesting pieces\u201d and Lazowska started hers as a way to collect and organize the images that inspire her.<\/p>\n Many artists find Tumblr an excellent way to introduce their work to a broader audience. Spanish artist Martin Copertari, who has been posting on Tumblr only since January 2012, finds the platform an outstanding way to make contact with other artists and those who appreciate collage. Copertari currently has 200 followers and has \u201cobserved that my artwork has caught the attention of a wide range of people\u201d and helped his work \u201cbecome more visible, particularly abroad.\u201d<\/p>\n Zach Collins<\/a>, a Minnesota-based collage artist, feels the same. Since he began posting on Tumblr over twenty months ago he has garnered a whopping 1800 followers and seen \u201ca huge effect on\u201d his \u201cvisibility\/career.\u201d Lyon, France-based artist\/illustrator Flore Kunst has also seen a boost to her career. Both her international visibility and roster of illustration clients has increased since she began blogging.<\/p>\n California artist Justin Angelos<\/a> is unsure about any career boost he\u2019s received, but has noticed increased traffic to his website and other social media since he began posting about six months ago. Angelos sees Tumblr as \u201cthe perfect world for collage\u201d where there are few rules, creative experimentation is valued, and you get \u201ctons of eyes to see your work.\u201d Collins, a sometimes collaborator with Angelos, has seen \u201ca progressing interest in collage.\u201d With the work of these bloggers, the Tumblr platform, and the huge variety of collage artists beginning to explore social media for the promotion of their work that interest is sure to grow.<\/p>\n It is encouraging to see just how many Tumblr bloggers go out of their way to bring more attention to the art of collage and the wide array of forms the medium can take. I personally thank them for introducing me to hundreds of new artists whose work I would most likely never have discovered without them. If you\u2019ve never explored Tumblr, I\u2019d encourage you to check out the blogs discussed above as well as the many others featuring collage (a selection of which is listed below), but be forewarned, if you are an image fanatic like me, it can quickly become an obsession.<\/p>\n Here are some select Tumblr blogs about Collage: This article appeared in\u00a0Issue Four<\/a>. SUBSCRIBE<\/a> to never miss an issue.<\/p>\n Images<\/strong>\u00a0(top to bottom):![\"Am](\"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Tumblr-James-Edward-Callahan-Am-Knowing.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Flying](\"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/flyingthroughthedogwoods-web.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Colored](\"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Colored-Freak-web.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Messenger](\"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Justin-Angelos-Messenger-web.jpg\")
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\nlennoxivy.tumblr.com<\/a>
\nfredfree.tumblr.com<\/a>
\nstuckbacktogether.tumblr.com<\/a>
\nraimonbenach.tumblr.com<\/a>
\n718222.tumblr.com<\/a>
\njustinangelos.tumblr.com<\/a>
\ntresroemer.com<\/a>
\nmartincopertari.tumblr.com<\/a>
\ngraphicspunk.tumblr.com<\/a>
\nemilypdunne.tumblr.com<\/a>
\nflorekunst.tumblr.com<\/a>
\nzachcollinsart.tumblr.com<\/a>
\npjus.tumblr.com<\/a>
\ncollageoftheweek.tumblr.com<\/a>
\ndailyphotomontage.tumblr.com<\/a>
\nthecollectivecollage.tumblr.com<\/a>
\nolupi.tumblr.com<\/a>
\ncaro-ma.tumblr.com<\/a>
\nsbhb.tumblr.com<\/a><\/p>\n
\nCome Home<\/em>
\nby\u00a0Zach Collins
\n5″x7″
\nFound International Harvester Company Operator\u2019s Manual, a page from Brooks\u2019s Readers-First Year<\/em> (American Book Company), and a page from New Biology Manual<\/em> copyright 1928.
\n2013
\nCourtesy of the artist<\/p>\n