![\"\"](\"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/the-waters-Blue_Sky_Mouse.jpg\")
\nAT KOLAJ FEST NEW ORLEANS<\/p>\n
\nAT KOLAJ FEST NEW ORLEANS<\/p>\n
Paul and Kathryn Kramer Waters have collaborated creatively since they met in a sculpture class at the Portland Art Museum in 1985. The couple explains their art practice this way: “We have always delighted in the line ‘Back then we wore what we had on’ from Neil Young\u2019s song, Falling From Above<\/em>, probably because it sums up what one of the things we love about making art and, in particular, making collage. You can create art from just about anything. The five-year-old magazines in the waiting room at the doctor\u2019s office. The Rorschach-like spaghetti-spotted napkins on the floor at the local restaurant. The barf-bags on airplanes\u2014only the clean ones\u2014we\u2019re not that avant-garde, yet. When we\u2019re out hiking, we\u2019ve even been known to use bark and leaves. The point is that the possibility of art is all around us. You don\u2019t have to buy a thing. Everything you need is here for you to use if you stop your day-to-day routine long enough to notice it.”<\/p>\n At Kolaj Fest New Orleans, the Waters will lead a workshop in the Collage Making Space. An exercise in creative collaboration, Continuation Collage is a form of collaboration where two artists work on collages at the same time, passing them back and forth multiple times, continuing to develop both compositions. During the session, they will talk about wide-ranging ideas on creativity and collaboration, including: The Adjacent Possible, The Myth of the Lone Genius, Lateral Thinking and how the concept \u201cYes, and\u2026\u201d (from Improvisational Theater) underlies all successful collaborative work. “Understanding, from first-hand experience, that people can listen better when their hands are moving, we\u2019ll fold these ideas into our conversation during the experience of creating Continuation Collages,” wrote the Waters.<\/p>\n About Kolaj Fest New Orleans<\/b> The following narrative written by Paul and Kathryn Kramer Waters illustrates what they hope for participants of Kolaj Fest.<\/p>\n Imagine this:<\/p>\n Kolaj Fest first-timer George bursts into the collage making space and flops red-faced into the seat next to Phoebe.<\/p>\n Phoebe recognizes George as the guy at the last panel discussion who told everybody that by day he writes open-source accounting software, but his real passion is collage. George realizes that Phoebe is the artist who presented her incredible collages made from teabags and matchsticks.<\/p>\n At the front of the room, a silver-haired woman and a man with a beard stand in front of a huge pile of colored paper, scraps of fabric, ribbon, photos. The man looks around and smiles.<\/p>\n \u201cEverybody ready to collaborate?\u201d he says. Pausing just long enough for no one to answer, the man launches into an animated discussion of something he calls Continuation Collage. As he talks, his wife holds up a series of colorful compositions.<\/p>\n \u201cNow it\u2019s your turn. Everybody choose a partner, grab a couple of boards, photos, colored paper or whatever magazines feel right to you.”<\/p>\n George grins at Phoebe, \u201cHowdy, Partner.”<\/p>\n The silver-haired woman holds up a paperback dictionary and says, \u201cWe like to pick a word from the dictionary to use as the conceptual basis for your collages. She shuts her eyes, puts her finger on a page, then opens her eyes and looks down at the word. \u201cThis ought to give you some structure,\u201d she says. \u201cToday\u2019s word is: Myth.\u201c<\/p>\n \u201cJust great,\u201d Phoebe says sarcastically. \u201cYeah. Epic!\u201d George adds. Phoebe hands George a 10\u201d x 10\u201d board. \u201cNational Geographic will be perfect for this.\u201d<\/p>\n Phoebe says, \u201cYou can start it however you want. I\u2019m starting this one with Vogue. Fashion is a myth. I\u2019ll use some of these old black and white photos as counterpoint.”<\/p>\n They start cutting, tearing and placing papers loosely on their boards as Kathryn and Paul banter about a few improvisational techniques. \u201cMake sure to leave openings in the composition. You\u2019re both going to need them. You can make little slits for pieces to fit into later or leave elements partially unglued so your partner can slide something underneath.\u201d<\/p>\n Phoebe glances at the large, eerie, black and white photo of a forest that George is gluing in the center of his board and hopes can soften it with strips of white tissue.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul and Kathryn\u2019s bantering continues, \u201cRemember, these are sketches and it\u2019s about the process more than the product.\u201d \u201cKeep it loose and spontaneous.\u201d Use your quick compositional brains.\u201d \u201cWe\u2019ll announce the time to pass your collage to your partners shortly.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul and Kathryn adjust the length of time between the partner hand-offs for people working at different speeds. After three exchanges, a few indicate that they are happy with their compositions and are stopping, while others add more detail.<\/p>\n After four exchanges, Phoebe sits back and grins, \u201cThese are good,\u201c she says. “I like the way the snippets of colorful fashion contrast with the nature photos.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t sound so surprised,\u201d George says, \u201cI knew they\u2019d turn out.\u201d<\/p>\n About Kolaj Fest New Orleans<\/b>![\"\"](\"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/the-waters-collage_sketchbooks.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\nKolaj Fest New Orleans<\/a> is a multi-day festival and symposium about contemporary collage and its role in art, culture, and society, July 10-14, 2019. Visit the website<\/a> to learn more, see an overview of the program, and register to attend. Kolaj Fest New Orleans would not be possible without the support of Press Street, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, LeMieux Galleries, Mystic Krewe of Scissors and Glue, Antenna Gallery, <\/em>Kolaj Magazine and Kasini House. Kolaj Fest New Orleans is made possible through a generous gift from Laurie and Doug Kanyer. WEBSITE<\/a>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/the-waters-eclipse.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\nKolaj Fest New Orleans<\/a> is a multi-day festival and symposium about contemporary collage and its role in art, culture, and society, July 10-14, 2019. Visit the website<\/a> to learn more, see an overview of the program, and register to attend. Kolaj Fest New Orleans would not be possible without the support of Press Street, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, LeMieux Galleries, Mystic Krewe of Scissors and Glue, Antenna Gallery, <\/em>Kolaj Magazine and Kasini House. Kolaj Fest New Orleans is made possible through a generous gift from Laurie and Doug Kanyer. WEBSITE<\/a>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/the-waters-Urban_growth.jpg\")
<\/p>\n