The layered composition
A process of gluing materials is fundamental to collage methodology. The blending of shapes, lines, colour -and in my practice – as well as photographic object are in a sense, primordial constructs of subjective representations of reality.
The process of painting and scraping off sections is a way of mirroring the lived experience. Artwork seems to resemble the person as a multi layered existential qualitative field. A field that embraces features of the world as well as rejecting those very same features as a paradox of self hood. However its through the use of resin that properties of light are harnessed so to give the photographic object its 3D effect.
Collage methodology used in works
Lines
Lines are fundamental to the composition. An area that interests me are the intersection of lines. Lines act as a metaphor around binaries, such as choice verses determinism.
Shape
The notion of shape seems unavoidable. However, a contrast between shapes suggests a sense of possible movement or stillness. A rectangular shape entails movement towards the earth, contrasted with a triangle. The guitars in the images below are illustrative of symbolic and graphical movement. Associative symbols from popular culture combined with the graphical can convey a form of movement.
Value in collage methodology
A play on light to dark contrast correlates with the elemental photograph so to nudge the gaze, towards various elements within the composition. This focusing devise is used in extreme vignetting which I explore in one of my short animations. A depiction emerges as a dominant or subdominant feature through the play of light and dark. The image below has high key value at the boundary that sets a contrasting value to the lower key value within. The face is the lowest key value which brings a mystery as its like an after image.
Colour
The split complement works well if it corresponds to the photographic element. So a resemblance with the central photographic depiction is important for qualities of harmonic composition, if intended to be the artistic style. It may even be monochrome, or a complement, or the not so popular split complement, but coherence is key.
Collage methodology and Pattern
There can be a somewhat randomness to the methodology when carving into stone unless the sculptor goes to the pains of having a detailed plan. The method I take is a free associative approach. Its a process of imprinting human action as far removed from mechanistic and digital forms of expression. Its a way to mitigate the impact through modes of abstraction . The closest to date in a digital sense might be the use of animation on my photographic depictions.
Movement
Repeating patterns infer movement. The latest series of mixed media have multiple attachment points for hanging , and so enabling movement based on tension in relation to position.
Gradation
The jagged to smooth lines become evident within the composition, that is in part a result carving sections. The elemental nature of carving has a digital counterpart that sits along side the genera of film art. This is correlated to the animating properties that might be carved out from the original depiction resulting in a plethora of transitions. Gradation as a higher order concept informs material and digital layers to emerge properties. So hue can have a property of value for a smooth transition. The use of of split compliments has properties of contrast for a jagged effect. This builds complex associations and relationships between layers making for semantic webs to emerge forms of life.
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