9.1 Collage and photomontage

Collage and photomontage revolutionized art in the early 20th century. These techniques allowed Surrealist and Dada artists to challenge traditional representation, explore the subconscious, and critique society by combining unexpected elements.

Pioneered by Cubists and embraced by movements like Dada and Surrealism, collage evolved from simple paper and glue to include found objects and photographic elements. Artists like Hannah Höch and John Heartfield used these methods to create powerful political and social commentary.

Origins of collage

• Collage emerged as a revolutionary artistic technique in the early 20th century, challenging traditional notions of representation in visual art
• Surrealism and Dada movements embraced collage as a means to explore the subconscious and critique societal norms

Cubist beginnings

Top images from around the web for Cubist beginnings

• 

  Georges Braque - Sein Werk | Moderne Kunst - verstehen! View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  peaceandwarpoetics - Collage View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Pablo Picasso - Still-Life with Chair Caning | Flickr - Photo Sharing! View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Georges Braque - Sein Werk | Moderne Kunst - verstehen! View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  peaceandwarpoetics - Collage View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

Top images from around the web for Cubist beginnings

• 

  Georges Braque - Sein Werk | Moderne Kunst - verstehen! View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  peaceandwarpoetics - Collage View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Pablo Picasso - Still-Life with Chair Caning | Flickr - Photo Sharing! View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Georges Braque - Sein Werk | Moderne Kunst - verstehen! View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  peaceandwarpoetics - Collage View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

• Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque pioneered collage in 1912 with papier collé technique
• Incorporated newspaper clippings and other everyday materials into paintings
• Fragmented reality and multiple perspectives reflected cubist principles
• Still Life with Chair Caning (1912) by Picasso considered first modern collage

Dada adoption

• Dada artists embraced collage as a tool for challenging artistic conventions and social norms
• Kurt Schwitters created Merz pictures using found objects and debris
• Raoul Hausmann's photomontages critiqued German society and politics
• Hannah Höch's Cut with the Kitchen Knife (1919) combined images from popular media

Surrealist expansion

• Surrealists used collage to explore the unconscious mind and create dreamlike imagery
• Max Ernst developed frottage and grattage techniques to create unexpected juxtapositions
• Salvador Dalí incorporated collage elements into his paintings to enhance surreal effects
• André Breton's poem-objects combined text and found objects in three-dimensional collages

Techniques and materials

• Collage techniques in Surrealism and Dada emphasized the use of everyday materials and found objects
• Artists experimented with various methods to create unexpected juxtapositions and challenge artistic conventions

Paper and glue

• Cut-and-paste technique using scissors and adhesives to combine different paper elements
• Papier collé involved gluing paper directly onto canvas or other surfaces
• Layering of different textures and materials created depth and visual interest
• Newspapers, magazines, and printed ephemera served as primary source materials
  • Allowed artists to incorporate text and imagery from mass media

Found objects

• Incorporation of three-dimensional objects into two-dimensional compositions
• Marcel Duchamp's readymades elevated everyday objects to art status
• Assemblage art combined found objects to create sculptural collages
• Kurt Schwitters' Merzbau transformed his entire house into a living collage
  • Incorporated discarded materials and personal objects

Photographic elements

• Photomontage technique combined multiple photographic images to create new compositions
• John Heartfield used photomontage for political commentary and anti-Nazi propaganda
• Man Ray experimented with rayographs, creating photograms without a camera
• Combination of photographic elements with hand-drawn or painted elements
  • Created surreal juxtapositions between reality and imagination

Key artists and works

• Collage played a crucial role in the development of Surrealism and Dada, with many artists pushing the boundaries of the technique
• These artists' works exemplify the diverse approaches to collage within these movements

Hannah Höch

• Pioneering figure in Dada movement and photomontage technique
• Cut with the Kitchen Knife Dada Through the Last Weimar Beer-Belly Cultural Epoch of Germany (1919-1920)
  • Critiqued Weimar Republic politics and gender roles
• Explored themes of feminism, gender identity, and mass media in her collages
• Developed the concept of "photomontage" alongside Raoul Hausmann

Max Ernst

• Surrealist artist who extensively used collage in his work
• Une Semaine de Bonté (1934), a collage novel combining Victorian engravings
• Developed frottage technique, rubbing textured surfaces to create unexpected imagery
• The Hundred Headless Woman (1929) combined collage and painting techniques

John Heartfield

• German artist known for his anti-Nazi photomontages
• Adolf, the Superman: Swallows Gold and Spouts Junk (1932) satirized Hitler's propaganda
• Pioneered use of photomontage for political activism and social commentary
• Worked for AIZ magazine, creating powerful anti-fascist images

Conceptual foundations

• Collage in Surrealism and Dada served as a means to challenge traditional artistic conventions and explore new ways of thinking
• These movements used collage to investigate the relationship between art, society, and the human psyche

Juxtaposition and chance

• Unexpected combinations of disparate elements created new meanings and associations
• Surrealists embraced automatism and chance operations in collage creation
• Exquisite corpse game exemplified collaborative chance-based collage
• Juxtaposition of unrelated images aimed to unlock the unconscious mind

Subversion of reality

• Collage allowed artists to create impossible or dreamlike scenarios
• Challenged viewers' perceptions of reality and encouraged new ways of seeing
• René Magritte's collage-like paintings subverted expectations of visual representation
• Distortion and fragmentation of familiar images created uncanny effects

Political commentary

• Dada artists used collage to critique societal norms and political systems
• Photomontage became a powerful tool for propaganda and counter-propaganda
• Berlin Dada group created politically charged collages addressing post-WWI Germany
• John Heartfield's anti-Nazi photomontages published in left-wing magazines

Photomontage specifics

• Photomontage emerged as a distinct form of collage within Surrealism and Dada movements
• This technique allowed artists to manipulate reality and create powerful visual statements

Photographic manipulation techniques

• Combination of multiple photographic elements to create new compositions
• Double exposure effects achieved through layering of negatives
• Airbrushing and retouching used to blend disparate elements seamlessly
• Scale manipulation created surreal juxtapositions between objects and figures

Propaganda and mass media

• Photomontage utilized in political propaganda during World War I and II
• Soviet Constructivists like Alexander Rodchenko used photomontage for revolutionary art
• John Heartfield's anti-Nazi photomontages published in AIZ magazine
• Raoul Hausmann's critiques of German society through photomontage

Digital vs analog photomontage

• Traditional photomontage involved physical cutting and pasting of photographs
• Digital tools (Photoshop) now allow for more seamless blending and manipulation
• Contemporary artists combine digital and analog techniques in their work
• Debates arise over authenticity and skill in digital vs analog photomontage creation

Influence on modern art

• Collage techniques pioneered in Surrealism and Dada had a lasting impact on subsequent art movements
• The legacy of these early experiments continues to influence contemporary artistic practices

Pop art connections

• Robert Rauschenberg's combines incorporated collage elements with painting and sculpture
• Richard Hamilton's Just What Is It That Makes Today's Homes So Different, So Appealing? (1956) considered first Pop art piece
• Andy Warhol's silkscreen prints utilized photographic collage techniques
• Pop artists embraced mass media imagery, echoing Dada's use of found materials

Contemporary collage practices

• Artists like Wangechi Mutu combine traditional collage with digital techniques
• Mark Bradford creates large-scale abstract collages using urban materials
• John Stezaker's conceptual approach to photomontage continues Surrealist traditions
• Collage incorporated into installation art and mixed media practices

Digital collage in 21st century

• Software tools enable complex digital collages and photomontages
• Internet culture and memes draw on collage aesthetics and techniques
• Virtual reality and augmented reality art incorporate collage-like layering of imagery
• AI-generated art often utilizes collage-like combination of visual elements

Theoretical perspectives

• Various theoretical frameworks have been applied to understand and interpret collage in Surrealism and Dada
• These perspectives offer different lenses through which to analyze the cultural and psychological significance of collage

Semiotics and collage

• Roland Barthes' concepts of denotation and connotation applied to collage imagery
• Collage elements function as signs within a larger system of meaning
• Juxtaposition of disparate elements creates new signifying relationships
• Umberto Eco's theories of open work relevant to interpreting collage

Psychoanalytic interpretations

• Freudian concepts of condensation and displacement in dream imagery applied to collage
• Jacques Lacan's ideas of the imaginary and symbolic orders reflected in collage techniques
• Collage as a means of accessing and representing the unconscious mind
• Surrealist use of collage seen as visual equivalent of free association

Marxist critique of photomontage

• Walter Benjamin's concept of mechanical reproduction relevant to photomontage techniques
• John Berger's Ways of Seeing explored how photomontage challenges traditional art
• Photomontage as a tool for critiquing capitalist society and consumer culture
• Theodor Adorno's views on the culture industry applicable to collage in mass media

Cultural impact

• Collage techniques developed in Surrealism and Dada have had a lasting influence on visual culture beyond the realm of fine art
• These influences can be seen in various forms of popular media and design

Advertising and design

• Collage aesthetics widely adopted in graphic design and advertising
• Magazine layouts and posters incorporate collage-inspired compositions
• Digital collage techniques used in creating compelling visual advertisements
• Surrealist-inspired juxtapositions employed to create memorable brand imagery

Album cover art

• Collage widely used in album cover design since the 1960s
• Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) features iconic collage by Peter Blake
• David Bowie's Diamond Dogs (1974) cover by Guy Peellaert uses photomontage techniques
• Contemporary artists like Stanley Donwood continue to use collage for Radiohead albums

Meme culture precursor

• Surrealist and Dada collage techniques foreshadowed internet meme culture
• Juxtaposition of unrelated images to create humor or social commentary
• Remix culture and appropriation art draw on collage traditions
• Visual puns and wordplay in memes echo Surrealist and Dada approaches

Collage in surrealist manifestos

• Surrealist manifestos and theoretical writings often discussed collage as a key technique for exploring the unconscious and challenging artistic conventions
• These texts helped establish collage as a central practice within the Surrealist movement

Breton's views

• André Breton emphasized collage as a means of accessing the marvelous
• Discussed collage in relation to automatic writing and dream imagery
• Saw collage as a way to subvert rational thought and bourgeois values
• Emphasized the role of chance and the unconscious in collage creation

Ernst's beyond painting

• Max Ernst's essay Beyond Painting (1948) explored collage techniques
• Described frottage and grattage as extensions of collage principles
• Emphasized the alchemical nature of combining disparate elements
• Discussed collage as a means of transcending traditional artistic boundaries

Collage as automatic process

• Surrealists viewed collage as a form of visual automatism
• Random selection of elements seen as a way to bypass conscious control
• Exquisite corpse game exemplified collaborative automatic collage
• Collage process compared to automatic writing and dream recollection

Legacy and contemporary practice

• The collage techniques developed in Surrealism and Dada continue to influence contemporary art practices
• Artists today draw on these historical precedents while adapting them to new media and cultural contexts

Mixed media developments

• Contemporary artists combine collage with painting, sculpture, and digital media
• Installation art incorporates collage principles in three-dimensional space
• Video art and film utilize collage-like editing techniques
• Sound collage and sampling in experimental music echo Dada and Surrealist approaches

Collage in digital age

• Digital tools enable complex layering and manipulation of images
• Internet art and net.art incorporate collage aesthetics in online environments
• Glitch art and databending create digital collages through file manipulation
• Augmented reality and virtual reality art utilize collage-like layering of imagery

Appropriation art debates

• Collage techniques raise questions about authorship and originality
• Richard Prince's rephotography and appropriation art draw on Dada traditions
• Legal and ethical debates surrounding fair use and copyright in digital collage
• Shepard Fairey's Obama Hope poster controversy highlights issues in contemporary collage practice