{"id":2739,"date":"2014-03-15T01:35:35","date_gmt":"2014-03-15T05:35:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/?p=2739"},"modified":"2014-10-27T23:08:19","modified_gmt":"2014-10-28T03:08:19","slug":"book-review-age-collage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/content\/articles\/book-review-age-collage\/","title":{"rendered":"Book Review: The Age of Collage"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Princess<\/p>\n

The Age of Collage<\/em>
\nedited by Dennis Busch, Robert Klanten, Hendrik Hellige<\/p>\n

review by Benoit Depelteau<\/p>\n

When German publisher Gestalten announced this book, a few months before its August 2013 release, I immediately thought of Cutting Edges<\/em>, the acclaimed collage publication they had launched a few years back. Upon reception of the object, I couldn\u2019t help it, I had to place them together on a table. Because Gestalten\u2019s books, with their generous dimensions, meticulous binding, density and weight, are impressive objects.<\/p>\n

While the two books share similarities, general layout and comparable size, they also function as complements. Cutting Edges<\/em> was made as the continuity of two exhibitions curated by New York artist James Gallagher. Therefore, Gallagher\u2019s own preoccupations as a collage artist, mainly the often distorted representation of the human body, are noticeable and assumed in the selection.<\/p>\n

Without Gallagher on board this time, the remaining elements of the editing team approach The Age of Collage<\/em> in a wider, general sense. They still present many images of modified human figures, a tendency whose influence has grown in recent collage practice, but also explore in other relevant directions.<\/p>\n

One of them, well covered in the book, is the use of geometrical patterns to alter an image. Admirably demonstrated by Eva Eun-Sil Han, Cur3es or Jordan Clark, this process is used with portraits, landscapes and even through abstraction. At its best when added to organic base images, this way of working amplifies the reconstruction aspect of collage.<\/p>\n

Another well-documented tendency is the creation of enigmatic landscapes, obtained by the juxtaposition of nature photographs with ethereal, psychedelic or stellar images. Somewhere between dreamy and dystopian, these panoramas underlie both contemplation and questioning.<\/p>\n

The editors also take note of the growing presence of unusual materials in recent practice. Readers will have the opportunity to view examples of work that includes baseball cards, buttons, thread, puzzle pieces and sausages, materials rarely associated with contemporary collage.<\/p>\n

Overall, the book aptly captures the vitality and diversity of recent fine art collage and identifies the hard tendencies seen in today\u2019s practice. The body of work presented is surprisingly coherent and suggests questions about identity. It could be the sign of a global social malaise or, most likely, a metaphor of the language of collage being slowly constructed.<\/p>\n

This review appeared in Issue Seven<\/a> of Kolaj Magazine<\/em>. PURCHASE ISSUE SEVEN<\/a> or SUBSCRIBE<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Age of Collage: Contemporary Collage in Modern Art<\/em>
\nEdited by Dennis Busch, Robert Klanten, and Hendrik Hellige
\nfull colour, hard cover
\n11.8\u201dx9.4\u201d, 288 pages, $58.00
\nISBN: 978-3-89955-483-0
\nGestalten, Berlin, Germany, 2013<\/p>\n

IMAGE<\/strong>
\nPrincess Headcut<\/em>
\nby Matthieu Bourel
\nfrom The Age of Collage<\/em> \u00a9Gestalten 2013<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Age of Collage edited by Dennis Busch, Robert Klanten, Hendrik Hellige review by Benoit Depelteau When German publisher Gestalten announced this book, a few months before its August 2013 release, I immediately thought of Cutting Edges, the acclaimed collage…<\/p>\n

Read more →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":2740,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6,13,10],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Princess-Headcut-by-Matthieu-Bourel.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2QTD7-Ib","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":686,"url":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/content\/articles\/fred-free-collage-master\/","url_meta":{"origin":2739,"position":0},"title":"Fred Free – Collage Master","author":"editor","date":"30 August 2012","format":"gallery","excerpt":"In an interview with editor Benoit Depelteau, Fred Free talks about becoming a collage artist, the notion of collection in his process, and finding materials for his art.","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/category\/content\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/conditions-assumed-by-fred-free-web.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/conditions-assumed-by-fred-free-web.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/conditions-assumed-by-fred-free-web.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":897,"url":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/issues\/issue-two-is-this-collage\/","url_meta":{"origin":2739,"position":1},"title":"Issue Two: Is This Collage?","author":"Christopher Byrne","date":"29 October 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Contents Kolaj editor Benoit Depelteau asks, \"Is this collage?\" Ric Kasini Kadour tells how Venezuelan collage artist Alejandro Otero brought modernity to his country. Kolaj editor Benoit Depelteau investigates collage as process with artist Emmanuel Laflamme. Billy Mavreas' \"Collage Today & Everyday\" explores collage culture. Cory W. Peeke talks with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Issues"","block_context":{"text":"Issues","link":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Issue-2-Cover-Final1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Issue-2-Cover-Final1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Issue-2-Cover-Final1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1931,"url":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/content\/articles\/collage-workbook-plowman\/","url_meta":{"origin":2739,"position":2},"title":"Book Review: The Collage Workbookby Randel Plowman","author":"Christopher Byrne","date":"6 June 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Published by Lark Crafts in Asheville, North Carolina in 2012, The Collage Workbook is a handy tool for experienced artists and neophytes. Benoit Depelteau reviewed it for Kolaj in Issue Four.","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/category\/content\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Collage-Workbook.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Collage-Workbook.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Collage-Workbook.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Collage-Workbook.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1264,"url":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/issues\/issue-three-fragments-ideas\/","url_meta":{"origin":2739,"position":3},"title":"Issue Three: Fragments & Ideas","author":"kasini","date":"15 January 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Contents Kolaj editor Benoit Depelteau talks about fragments and ideas in collage Billy Mavreas explores the textures & plans of resonance of collage artist Jacob Whibley. Benoit Depelteau talks with Uncanny Artist owner Laura Stanziola. Cory W. Peeke sits down with California artist David King. Ric Kasini Kadour visits the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Issues"","block_context":{"text":"Issues","link":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/K3-Cover-Final.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2585,"url":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/issues\/issue-7\/","url_meta":{"origin":2739,"position":4},"title":"Issue 7: Collage & Collaboration","author":"kasini","date":"16 January 2014","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Kolaj is a quarterly, printed magazine about contemporary collage. We are interested in how collage is made, how collage is exhibited, and how collage is collected. We bring together critical reviews and essays with artist profiles, event highlights, and articles on collage collecting, exhibiting, and making. Kolaj is published in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Issues"","block_context":{"text":"Issues","link":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"K7-Cover","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/K7-Cover.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/K7-Cover.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/K7-Cover.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":115,"url":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/news\/special-pre-issue\/","url_meta":{"origin":2739,"position":5},"title":"Special Pre-Issue: Why Collage, Why Now","author":"kasini","date":"11 February 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Kolaj Magazine's Special Pre-Issue is now available Order Why Collage? Why Now? today!","rel":"","context":"In "Issues"","block_context":{"text":"Issues","link":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover-Pre-Issue-web.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2739"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2739"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2739\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}