Life On Paper

By Aprile Elcich

We’ve entered a new art scene; one where everybody wants to collage. Cut and paste just feels so right. Maybe it’s because that’s one of the first things we learn to do creatively. It makes sense that art has gone in this direction—collage is usually easier, faster, more available, and more versatile. Masterpieces are less time-consuming. This “unconventional” technique can be just as expressive as any other, and it is quickly becoming more of a driving force than traditional art. I feel that, in some ways, collage represents our way of coping with the ever-changing modern world. The cities we live in have an impact on us, and we express them in the way we create.

There are the curators: those who put each bit of ephemera on display as if it was meant to belong there. They are the planners, the meticulous. They appreciate objects, pieces, and fragments; and want to show them off with orderliness, but they aren’t afraid to leave some askew to add an element of surprise. Every piece looks like it was meant to play a part, to tell a story.

There are the collaborators: those who see collage as an opportunity to share and to open doors. They love to bounce ideas off one another, or pass their pieces back and forth. They are confident enough in their own ability, but since they want to move mountains, they would rather work together.

There are the editors: those that cut away and diminish. Those that erase, delete, and eliminate until they are left with cut and pasted simplicity. These artists step away from the overcrowded sidewalk. They see collage as an opportunity for quiet time, a moment to digest. The silence in their work is thought-provoking and meaningful.

There are the collectors: those who just can’t get enough. They are overwhelmed by the world and they love that—it excites them. Life is fast-paced and so is their work—faster, stronger, edgier. They are overexposed and they use it to their advantage by putting it all down on paper, sometimes in a tangled mess. In their collages you will find the underlying picture is of what life is like, right now.