Collage (Meaning and Explanation)

We explain what collage is and the origin of this artistic technique. Also, the types of collage that exist and examples of them.

What is collage?

The collage (from French necklacewhich means “to paste”) is the artistic technique of joining elements or cutouts of different origins and turning them into a work. It consists of take fragments from various sources and combine them to give them a new form or a new meaning.

Traditionally it was called collage to the plastic technique of adhering cutouts of wood, paper, photographs, rubber and other materials to a canvas, but the term has been extended to music, photography, film, literature, video and other arts.

The invention of modern collage is attributed to the cubists Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) and Georges Braque (1882-1963). Picasso had incorporated photographs into his drawings in 1899, and in 1912 he added oilcloth to his work. Still life with slatted chair. The technique, however, has a long tradition in the world that dates back to 12th century Japan, when calligraphed poems were embellished by adding fabric and paper cuts.

Collage notably influenced later art and was widely used by the historical avant-garde of the 20th century (Cubism, Dada, Futurism, Surrealism and Constructivism), as well as by Fluxus and Pop Art.

collage artists

Some famous artists who dabbled in collage are:

Georges Braque (1882-1963). He was a French artist, pioneer in the use of paper as the main material in his collages, a technique he called papier collé (“pasted paper”, in French). He experimented with different types of paper, such as newsprint, wood paper, and cigarette paper. Unlike Pablo Picasso, Braque often included decorative elements, such as pattern cutouts, labels, and pieces of fabric, in his collages.
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). He was a Spanish artist, one of the most influential of the 20th century and one of the pioneers in the use of collage. He explored a wide range of materials to provide texture and three-dimensionality to his works. His collages contained newspaper, fabric scraps, objects found (found objects) and even sand.
Juan Gris (1887-1927). He was a Spanish artist, co-founder of cubism and pioneer in the use of collage. He used geometric shapes and fragments of everyday objects, such as newspaper and cardboard, to create his compositions.
Kurt Schwitters (1887-1948). He was a German artist, founder of Merz, a multidisciplinary movement that sought to free itself from traditional art conventions. His collages (merzbilder), and its sculptural-architectural constructions (merzbau) combined a wide range of materials to create chaotic and challenging compositions.
Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968). He was a French artist, considered the father of conceptual art and a central figure of the historical avant-garde. He was a pioneer in the use of everyday objects to turn them into works of art and his work was an indisputable inspiration for contemporary art.
Max Ernst (1891-1976). He was a German artist, a key figure in surrealism. His collages of experimental techniques combined cutouts and photomontages with photography techniques. frottage (rubbing a pencil on a leaf placed on an object).
Henri Matisse (1869-1954). He was a French artist, a key figure of Fauvism and one of the great masters of modern art. He dabbled in collage starting in the 1940s, during the last stage of his career. This technique allowed him to create dynamic compositions in which he addressed his recurring themes (dance, music, nature and the human figure) with vibrantly colored paper cutouts.
Man Ray (1890-1976). He was an American artist, co-founder of Dada and a figure of surrealism. He experimented with photographic techniques and objects found (found objects). His photo-collage works (a technique that combines photographs with other materials) and his assemblages of disparate elements became references of surrealism.
Antonio Berni (1905-1983). He was an Argentine visual artist, considered one of the great references of modern and contemporary art in his country. He experimented with various artistic techniques, but collage became one of the central tools of his work.
Jasper Johns (1930-). He is an American artist, a key figure of Pop Art. His collages, composed of images and icons from popular culture (such as flags, numbers and maps) question the notion of author and the relationship between art and consumer society.
Vik Muniz (1961-). He is a Brazilian contemporary artist, known for making photographic collages that recreate famous works of art on a large scale. His works, made with unusual materials such as trash, chocolate or diamonds, have been based on art icons such as Da Vinci's Mona Lisa or Michelangelo's David.

Types of collage

Broadly speaking, collage can be of three types:

Two-dimensional collage. It is the type of collage that gave its name to the technique. It is created by adhering physical materials such as paper, magazines, photographs, objects found (found objects), wood, fabrics, plastics and other elements to a flat surface.
Assembly. It is the three-dimensional version of collage. Use objects found (found objects) and materials of any type to create pieces with volume, called assemblages or sculptures. Objects are physically joined together using techniques such as welding, gluing or fitting.
digital collage. It is the composition that is created in a virtual environment, through the use of various techniques and effects of digital tools and design software. This practice facilitates the distribution and exchange of works, as it allows the creation of digital files that can be easily replicated and shared.

collage examples

Some collage examples are:

Images of the trash (2006), by Vik Muniz

In this work, the Brazilian artist worked in collaboration with garbage recyclers who lived in the largest landfill in Latin America, on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, to create large-scale portraits with discarded materials. The material was arranged on the floor of a huge warehouse until it formed a mosaic made with the portraits of the collaborators, imitating emblematic works from the history of art.

The series Monsters (1965), by Antonio Berni

Berni created a series of sculptures made from waste material which he named Monsters. These works are shaped like reptiles, dragons and nightmarish beings and are made of recognizable trash: cans, tires, brushes, nets and other elements.

The collés papiers (1912), by Georges Braque

Also called “pasted papers”, there are more than 50 pieces in which this French artist, considered one of the fathers of collage, incorporated two-dimensional materials, especially paper of various types, into his pictorial compositions.

References

Farago, J. (January 29, 2021). An Art Revolution, Made With Scissors and Glue. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/
Giraudo, V. The menacing bird. From the Cosmic Monsters series. (2024). Malba. https://coleccion.malba.org.ar/