CappuccinoandArtJournal

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Friday, March 13, 2015

Collage Class -- Part two


An embroidered postcard I fell in love with at the wonderful show
Secondhand
at Pier24 Photography. If you live in the Bay Area I recommend you stop by. It seems many people don't know about this wonderful photography resource.
Free -- but you must have an appointment. Just check out the website.
The show was so interesting and I took so many photos, I may have to do a post about Secondhand.
Many of the photos in the show were altered in some way, like the embroidery on this card, which may me rethink the definition of collage/altered art/assemblage. 

I collect embroidered postcards and have made some mail art by sewing on photos so it was fun to see this in a museum.

Collage classes continued....
One thing I have realized from this class is that the definition of collage -- or simply collages themselves -- is much broader than I had realized.
For example, looking at this photo, I see a collage. And it may not be permanent but it existed in the moment and the photograph is a record of it.
Maybe that's why I have always loved taking photographs like this?

Here's another......

I also realized my Stamp Head series on vintage photos are collages too.
I never thought of them as collages but they are...

collage: 1. a kind of surrealist art in which bits of flat objects, such as newspaper, cloth, pressed flowers, etc., are pasted together in incongruous relationship for their symbolic or suggestive effect. 2. a picture so made  --- Webster's Dictionary1960

A collage attempt -- not entirely successful. I find, when given a  topic or told to do something in a certain style, I really freeze up. I'm used to working on my own.
But I'm trying to just open up my mind and try things without really worrying how they actually turn out.



Previous week's collage...

After some slides and pointers the class gets down to work....it is really lovely to see how quiet and engrossed in making collages everyone gets....
Here's a link
which goes in to a bit more detail about the definition of collage. And, by the way, it was pretty obvious by the work in the class that collages don't have to be flat works on paper.
Times change.
Quite a few folks made three-dimensional pieces -- very cool ones. 
(I didn't think I should show other people's work).


Matt Conzalez Collages at Dolby Chatwick Gallery
(all sold out -- amazing!)
We are having crazy weather in the 70's so I am out going for a lot of walks (and you know I am picking up a lot of paper ephemera) -- and I am seeing wonderful street art and collages out there on the streets. Someone made a wonderful group of these right down the street from my house.
This looks nice and layered and collage-like to me too...

There are times I really get frustrated -- all the links I put here have just disappeared -- and it is a lot of work -- Blogger can sure be annoying. I will try again.....

There are some interesting shows to check out here in SF at the moment --

Secondhand at Pier 24

Matt Gonzalez at Dobly Chatwick gallery

Melinda Tidwell
At Andrea Schwartz Gallery

The photos are messed up and out of order but I give up --  who says there is a right order anyway?
I am posting this and hitting the studio and getting to work -- and taking another walk on this beautiful day.
I'll will think about art on the walk.




24 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Well, thanks so much, Sue -- always good to know somebody is out there who likes a post!

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  2. Love your collage with the horse. Yep, pretty much anything you put together can be called collage. Glad you're having fun with it! Have a great weekend. xo

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  3. That embroidered card is really something - so much work went into it! I really enjoyed your comments about collage. I realize that many of the things I create are actually collage even though I wasn't thinking about them in that way. Thanks for all the links and info!

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    Replies
    1. cjrsq -- I realized the same thing! And you are most welcome for the links. I'm happy you enjoyed them since I had to do everything twice! I really wished those embroidered cards were for sale -- loved them.

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  4. Wow, that embroidered postcard is beautiful!

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    1. Loved the post. Your class looks like fun. I know what you mean about freezing up when having to work to particular specifications. One thing I struggle with is my tendency toward symmetry. Letting loose and slapping things down in a more jumbled,haphazard way, well, it's like trying to become a "morning person" when you're most definitely not one :) Your work always has a vibrancy and energy to it.

      I think I saw someone selling embroidered post cards ( on old photographs) on Etsy. Can't remember the shop name though.

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    2. Polly -- yes! You understand. I am the same way. I have an idea to buy some san Francisco postcards and embroider on them.....
      Thanks for the ETSY tip -- I can check that out to too.
      --Pamela

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  5. your work is so fun and inspiring and very collagular. i love reading and seeing your blog and thanks for the pier 24 blurb as it reminded me to make an appointment.

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    1. aoumiss -- well...well...so nice to see you here after so long -- and thank you for trying so hard to get yourself set up to comment on the blog. Very much appreciated. Yes try to go see that show at Pier 24 -- it is interesting and i think it will appeal to the collector in you.

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  6. I like 'previous week's collage' a lot.

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    Replies
    1. thanks, marie w. I wanted to cut the collages in postcards and mail them but the board they are on it too thick to mail.....

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  7. I'm popping back on here to say thanks for the tip regarding Liquitex for mail art. I ordered some from Blick and it came in yesterday. Woo hoo! Love it! It works so much better. Going to get the geli pad out and go to town on some envelopes :)

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    1. Polly -- that is so nice of you to let me know! I have been using a lot of it on my collages too. So happy it is working for you. --Pamela

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  8. Love that bullfighter postcard - it reminds me of the crazy semester of college I spent in Spain in the 80's! Great blog post - and your circus collage is awesome!

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    1. Hi Michele C -- Nice to see your name pop up here! Thanks for stopping by. I would like to go to Spain and buy up a bunch of those cool postcards. I wonder if they still sell them....

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  9. I'm glad you are continuing to share about your collage class, and that it is broadening your conception of collage as an art form. I see the hint of collage in a box lid going on in one of the photos...I love that! I think it was in an eNewsletter from Beth Kempton of Do What You Love where she was making table vignettes and photographing them... definitely collage! And the people who make those wonderful assemblages of their collections, or of items of like color? ....definitely collage. I love all of that.

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    1. It's all good, isn't it, Andria? I'm off again tonight -- two more classes. Thanks for commenting.

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  10. Hey Pamela,
    I could not find your e-mail address:( I bought them by a good friend. I have more than a dozen NB rubber stamps and I love them all!

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  11. Love the street art photos, and I am so enjoying watching the evolution of your art.

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