Thursday, March 21, 2019

Radical Collage

I have been working on these "extreme layering" pieces, of which you can see a few examples on a previous post. Besides being just plain FUN to do, this process offers a lot of lessons in art practice. The main one is that it forces you to let go of any attachment you might have to the "pretty bits". They will inevitably be covered over or radically altered. To get the kind of depth and sense of history that characterizes the pieces, you have to layer and layer and layer.

Here is one piece at various stages of the process. It is on 11x14" cradled wood panel.

First layer of collage after a coat of gesso
Second layer of collage
Third layer of collage
Fourth layer of collage
After sanding with an orbital sander, a coat of gesso mixed with paint (the yellow-green), and then more sanding
More collage and painting and sanding
At this point you can see that the steps forward get much much less dramatic. At this point I have found the image and it's a matter of tweaking.
I quieted down the upper left quadrant.

I toned down a small section in the center. This might be done.
I am curious to know if any of you have tried a process like this. I will be teaching a workshop on this process in 2020, after I get a better handle on the variables and possibilities. For instance, I'm wondering if a dremel tool has the capacity for this kind of sanding. Anyone know?
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35 comments:

  1. UnknownMarch 21, 2019 at 11:13 AM

    Your work always has such tremendous depth, but takes it all to a new level! Your constant exploration and experimentation is so inspiring. Amazing work!!!

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  2. happy2bmeMarch 21, 2019 at 12:21 PM

    Fascinating process, loving that you expressed that you had so much FUN! Beautiful end results. So inspiring, makes me want to try! Thank you, Jane!

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  3. Bleubeard and ElizabethMarch 21, 2019 at 2:17 PM

    Beautiful work. Personally, I liked it at the next to last step. The last step looks too stark to me.

    I have an orbital sander but prefer to use a Mouse sander for sanding. It's easy to hold and lightweight, too. Works equally well as my orbital.

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    1. Jane DaviesMarch 22, 2019 at 7:02 AM

      Thanks! I saw a mouse sander in my "research" (i.e. google), and it did look better for this kind of thing.

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    2. Heather DubreuilMarch 25, 2019 at 10:57 AM

      If you have a subscription to the New Yorker, you can read the article on-line. That version includes a few more images of his work than does the print edition.

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  4. DfooteMarch 21, 2019 at 2:21 PM

    Dremel tool has so many attachments and bits it would be excellent choice of this type of art. Thanks for the inspiration and sharing.

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  5. StephanieMarch 21, 2019 at 5:54 PM

    It's possible that the Dremel and maybe even the Mouse - which I also like to use on paint surfaces- might be too small and tend to make you save parts. A palm sander, and the orbital would make one sand down the entire surface without thinking about choices. I'd like to actually see these surfaces as photos flatten out surface depth. Also the visual depth created by the photos in the first layers - a room and later a building facade - would be interesting to see in one of the final layers prior to sanding - a bit of that visual play would add a different kind of depth. Sign me up in 2020. I'm game.

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    1. Jane DaviesMarch 22, 2019 at 7:05 AM

      Thanks, Stephanie! I did not photograph every single step in this process, as it would be too distracting. I do have to be careful with the power sander, not to sand too much. I may try the mouse. Get on my mailing list if you are not already, as I will announce the 2020 workshop in a newsletter.

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  6. Heather DubreuilMarch 21, 2019 at 9:00 PM

    This is a direction I would love to pursue. I have just read a profile of the artist Peter Sacks in the March 25 issue of the New Yorker that I think you should read. Born in South Africa, 1950, of Jewish Lithuanian heritage, he has had a succession of varied and brilliant careers. Currently he is a prolific and respected collage artist (though he travels in such elite circles it's not called collage). Also employs bits of cloth, some of it burnt, and scraps of linen that he has typed whole texts on, using an old manual typewriter.

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    1. Jane DaviesMarch 22, 2019 at 7:06 AM

      Thank you for this reference. As soon as The Husband is done with the New Yorker, I'll grab it and read.

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    2. nancyMarch 25, 2019 at 11:38 PM

      Peter Sack is very generous with his process and shows lots of pictures on his instagram page - it is really interesting

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  7. selenaMarch 22, 2019 at 7:47 AM

    Nicholas Wilton is big with the orbital sander,and paint layers (some collage). as are his disciples/peers. He did not use it in a class, however. He did use a Venetian plaster trowel to add paint in a demo to good effect.

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  8. Helen Percy LystraMarch 22, 2019 at 8:00 AM

    I love the result you got with this process. I have a cradle waiting for me to do something with... may have to try this.

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  9. LavinaMarch 22, 2019 at 12:34 PM

    I am wondering if you might also try, on the top layer of collage with magazine paper, gluing an image face down (making sure not to put glue/gel on the top), letting that dry then wetting and working away all but the glued down ink layer with your thumbs. I did some of that years ago and got some interesting effects. I love to experiment and admire that you have gone way beyond my efforts. Looking forward to that class in 2020.

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  10. dvgalleryMarch 22, 2019 at 4:38 PM

    The first I heard of this sanding technique was from an article on Michael Mew ("Contemporary Nostalgia", may be in the book Art Revolution by Lisa Cyr; not only a good read but he also demos his process). He uses a similar technique of layer upon layer, sanding them as he goes. He differs in that he carves botanicals into the layers. While the end result is different, the process is similar.

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  11. dvgalleryMarch 22, 2019 at 4:40 PM

    btw, I'm just crazy about the depth, texture and detail in this piece. Only wish I could see it in person. Bet it has tactile interest as well.

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  12. jeriinpasoMarch 22, 2019 at 8:24 PM

    Thank everyone for comments and especially jane davies for sharing her ideas to get the juices flowing

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  13. Jane DaviesMarch 23, 2019 at 7:58 AM

    Thanks!! One thing I love about this process is the NOT planning. I don't generally do any planning of my pieces, but this process allows me to really lean into the aspect of surprise, and also letting go. The extreme unpredictability has so much to teach. They are not very tactile, actually. It's all visual.

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  14. dvgalleryMarch 23, 2019 at 8:21 AM

    Thank you for sharing this with us, especially you willingness to share your learnings along the way. Lessons I could use. I'm in the process of trying this in the studio.

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    1. Jane DaviesMarch 23, 2019 at 4:16 PM

      Good luck!! ANd have fun.

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    2. dvgalleryApril 10, 2019 at 7:12 PM

      This comment has been removed by the author.

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    3. dvgalleryApril 10, 2019 at 7:13 PM

      Update: I now have six layers down (4 collage, 2 paint), waiting for the last one to dry. What an interesting process! Time consuming too. I can hardly wait to see what will be revealed when I begin to sand.

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    4. dvgalleryApril 14, 2019 at 4:51 PM

      I have just sanded this piece. Fascinating. I've posted a photo of the six layers, and then a photo of the post-sanding piece, in a Flickr album if anyone cares to see the process. Nest, back to the studio for more layers!

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    5. dvgalleryApril 28, 2019 at 10:22 PM

      Since this last post I have begun 2 more pieces...all very different, yet beginning with similar collage bases. Learning a lot from this, both technical and process-wise.

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  15. RettMarch 23, 2019 at 12:15 PM

    Never tried this myself. I do like the finished look. Lots of color and great texture. It reminds me of boards you see in NYC...Post No Bills.

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  16. EricaMarch 24, 2019 at 1:54 AM

    I love these collages! Your work always inspires me. Your book, Collage Journeys, is one of my favorite books ever. Cheers!

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  17. nancyMarch 25, 2019 at 9:39 PM

    started 4 panels yesterday - this is brilliant timing as the collection of collage papers has been waiting for this. The idea of sanding though is brilliant. I have hand sanded paintings but not collage. Shall see how she goes. Best wishes to you Jane - thank you once again for the inspiration to push the edge. Hope all is blooming in Rupert!

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    1. Jane DaviesMarch 27, 2019 at 1:28 PM

      Cool! I would love to see your pieces. One key is letting it dry thoroughly before sanding. Another key is having at least three layers of collage. ANd the final thing is LETTING GO of attachment to any given stage of the image. Good luck.

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  18. LisaMarch 26, 2019 at 5:11 PM

    Jane, how do you deal with the edges of collage showing up as ridges, under acrylic layers? Other than sanding them down, have you found a way to deal with the edges, or simply live with the texture they create?

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    1. Jane DaviesMarch 27, 2019 at 1:30 PM

      I don't see it as a thing to "deal with". It IS part of what shows up in the process. If the image is "finished", but there is a ridge that is distracting, then I would paint over it or something like that. I don't see the physical texture as a problem, as I am using pretty thin papers and any physical texture is subsumed by the image. But if there is something visual you can just paint over it.

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  19. Linda WarnerApril 17, 2019 at 12:20 PM

    I read the Peter Sacks article too and, of course, this is collage even though they don't say the word. In fact, the article made me come back to this blog to read up on Jane's sanding projects. I took a collage class last summer with Alexandra Sheldon at Snow Farm, and some students were sanding in between layers. Very exciting. Sign me up for a class!

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  20. EFKaplanJune 5, 2019 at 1:02 PM

    https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/03/25/an-artists-archeology-of-the-mind/amp

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