Wk 10 Tutorial Further Research - Collage Artists
I was really excited for this week’s tutorial as I knew we were going to be making a collage, I didn't realise how interesting the theory behind it would be.
First we discussed the idea of reappropriating something to create a new meaning is a theme shared between postmodernism and collage art. There is also a crossover between collage art and Situationists. These were French intellectuals in the 60’s concerned with ‘rerouting or hijacking’ pre-existing art in order to put forward their own political or social agenda and question authority. Personally, this kind of ‘culture jamming’ that came from this ‘Detournement’ is more appealing to me than the rebellious nature of the punk movement, although they are in a similar vein, culture jamming I think (and what can be argued eventually turned into memes) is more tasteful.
Image via, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krWhYQyxV94, ‘Culture Jamming: Recuperation and Détournement’
A few key things interested me from this tutorial, Detournement and how it turned into memes and modern collage artists, Mary Lum and Steve Tierney.
I think I was more drawn to the work of Lum and Tierney as they have clean lines, and a sort of story or theme and deeper meaning that makes more sense to me than other collage works.
Steve Tierney is an Australian mixed media and minimalist collage artist. There are two examples of his work that appeal to me the most, his 2018 series, Reflected, using his own self portraits and an editorial illustration for Storyline Magazine. Focusing on ‘Reflected’, his use of layered bodies and negative space allows a discussion for what we hide and reveal about our bodies and life, he is questioning how much we feel comfortable exposing about our lives... Tierney plays into the themes of detournement with Reflected by asking his audience to question their pre-held beliefs on masculinity, femininity and our idea of beauty.
Mixed media collages, Steve Tierney, 2018, 40x60cm Via, https://chinaheights.com/270718-steve-tierney-reflected/under
Unlike Tierney, Lum uses the built environment to create architectural collages, yet despite their differences I find both artists are similar in the way they explore life. Lum focuses on how geographical locations affect people’s emotions, presenting an urban space as a multilayered collage itself. I think this is similar to how Tierney works with the layers and complexities of our bodies and lives. Lum sums up best herself why I think the two artists are similar to one another and to the idea of detournement, “A big part of my work, in both words and images, is the juxtaposition of disparate parts, so that new meanings can be constructed from the simple, ordinary, familiar, or mundane.”.
2011, 2012, 2014 (respectively) Acrylic and photography collages on paper, via, http://www.yanceyrichardson.com/artists/mary-lum?view=slider#10
Info References
1. "About - Steve Tierney Collage." Stevetierneycollage.com. Web. 13 May 2020.
2. "Mary Lum - 32 Artworks, Bio & Shows On Artsy." Artsy.net. N.p., 2020. Web. 13 May 2020.
3. “Mary Lum - Artists - Yancey Richardson." Yanceyrichardson.com. Web. 13 May 2020.
