For my essay, I was looking at the defining characteristics
of collage and its subversive nature; breaking down if collage is defined by
its subversives. I began by doing specific reading into the Dada movement as
they were the pioneers for experimental collage. I particularly looked at specific
member of the movement, Huelsenbeck who believed the best collage artists were
passionate and took inspiration from the horrors of war – yet not all agreed
with this. It was also argued by Hausmann, who was looked at for his views and
his work, that collages are about creating new and fresh compositions, born
from war.
Several other aspects of the practice were studied, its use
in surrealism, consumerism and advertising. This gave are far more
comprehensive view of the medium and use within different parts of society, all
showing links to subversion. I particularly focused on John Stezaker’s view of
collage, who was a 1970s artist, that suggested collage was an act of violence,
defined by how radical the physical act of tearing apart an image is. This was
another interesting indication that collage art is in fact defined by its subversives.
The practical investigation was inspired by this as I wanted
to fully test if a collage can be made that isn’t subversive. If these
techniques and inspiration from violence can be translated in something created
by the authority and not the dissenting groups protesting the authority’s
regime. The essay helped outline to me the political tone that the collages
should take in order to be authentic and impactful.
