Collage since the Cubist and Dadaists of the early modern era has been a time-honored technique artists have used to describe a fractured discordant world where the traditional formal artmaking rules do not always apply. In this workshop attendees will explore the socio-political tropes utilized by such early modern era artists such as Max Ernst, Hans Arp, Juan Gris, Romare Bearden and others, and filter their styles, inspirations, and formal approach through our contemporary lens to create works which fuse messaging together with design considerations. Our time together will begin with a quick review of these compositional design principles, an exploration of our materials used in the workshop, a review of historical references and finally how these techniques of the past might be recontextualized to explore issues of our day such as the war in Ukraine or the Black Lives Matter movement. After attendees sketch their ideas, they will be invited to put together works where they will be taught several strategies for integrating collage and other ephemera into works that deliver on both personal messaging and compositional balance.
No experience necessary.