Inspirational collages - The Far Pavilion

According to Wikipedia, “Collage (From the French: coller, to glue) is a technique of an art production, primarily used in the visual arts, where the artwork is made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole.”

ancagray Etsy shop
Anca uses book pages, clothes patterns, etc. to create her beautiful collages.

I love the last part of that definition- creating a new whole. Taking bits of different things, whether paper, ribbon, clippings, metal, fabric, etc. and creating something completely new and different requires vision and talent, and an intelligent sense of space and form. I personally am fascinated by the different ways artists can take old, used, meaningful single pieces and combine them into a new whole that conveys brand new ideas. These inspirational collages teach us truth and inspire us to create.

Carol Nelson
Carol’s collage is full of texture and depth, and to me conveys the idea of rising above, perhaps through language.

Collage is a perfect medium to employ symbolism because of its’ abstract nature and the combination of elements. The individual pieces can carry meaning, the arrangement of those elements can create meaning, and the finished, overall whole brings everything together in a symbolic way, as well. In Carol Nelson’s piece, above, I see tattered individual pieces that are arranged in such a way that the whole piece makes me think of above vs. below. I think of the theme of progression with this piece- the tattered elements of our souls are lifted up, perhaps through language and communication (her use of the alphabet) to something greater.

Is this the idea the artist is trying to convey? I don’t know. Am I reading too much into a simple abstract painting? Hmm…. perhaps, but that is something I love about abstract art- each person sees different themes and ideas because each person brings to the piece their own experiences and ways of thinking. What do you see in Stephanie Devaux’s piece below?

Stephanie Devaux
Stephanie’s work is brilliant in her use of text and the way she is able to draw the eye with the forms she creates in her collages.

These three artists constantly amaze me with their talent. Take a few minutes and click on each picture to check out their pages and shops- you won’t regret it, I promise!