Rocky Mountain Collage Society: “Collage as Fine Art”
Originally published in the Summer 2020 issue of SPOKE+BLOSSOM
Collage techniques were first used around 200 B.C. with the invention of paper in China. In the early 1900s, artist Pablo Picasso and colleague Georges Braque coined the term collage and edged the craft into a distinctive part of modern art.
Collage art appeals to many simply because it’s an assemblage of different forms, creating a collage may include magazine and newspaper clippings, ribbon, cloth, paint, handmade, vintage or tissue paper, photographs and found objects such as bark, seed pods, metal gears and bits of jewelry.
Front Range by Pam Leland
Georges Braque claimed that art can be made out of anything, even the contents of our waste baskets.
Rocky Mountain Collage Society (RMCS) members Sylvia Wilhelm and Gayle Gerson joke that the society feels “socially responsible” to create collage art in this day and age of ever- growing trash.
“Collage has always gotten short shifted, but it is truly an art form,” says Gerson. “Our mission is to recognize and encourage appreciation for collage as fine art.”
Originating in Grand Junction in 2007 with just a couple members, RMCS currently includes 38 artists from across the state. New members are welcome to join in their educational quarterly meetings, informal small group gatherings include a member demonstration and, every two years, a two-day workshop by guest artists from around the United States.
“Our members are men and women from all backgrounds and age groups, explains Gerson. “Most people are late to art, the vast majority discovering collage as a new creative outlet.”
At 90, their senior member was a professional jewelry maker who just learned the collage medium and loved it.
“For me it’s inspirational to get together and share ideas and skills, new techniques, even glues,” adds Wilhelm. “We feed off each other.”
Spring Melt by Sylvia Wilhelm
RMCS members are all about spreading their love of collage art through community outreach and numerous exhibits. 2020 marks their third Annual Collage Art Expo at the Western Slope Center for the Arts — a family-targeted event. Members set up hands-on stations for the public to experiment with and take home their newly created projects.
RMCS exhibits have been displayed at City Hall, Mesa County Library, the Lincoln Park Barn, St. Mary’s Pavilion, the Zesty Moose and, of course, the Western Slope Center for the Arts, to just name a few. Wihelm won first place at the Library’s Culturefest art exhibit with her collage entitled “Displaced” — based on Syrian refuges.
Last year Grand Junction hosted the Annual National Collage Society Postcard Show with entrants from England, Ireland, Canada and the Czech Republic, as well as all over the United States. Artists are confined to 4x6 postcard-size pieces of work, creating a fun challenge, resulting in astounding variety. Gerson was honored to be one of the winners with her postcard titled “An Artist First” — a modern expression of Mona Lisa.
“Sometimes I’ll spend more time on a 4x6 postcard than a 40x30 piece, because you have to make maximum impact on a small space,” says Gerson.
The RMCS bi-annual exhibit at the Western Slope Center for the Arts is a highlight for members as it is not juried, meaning they can show several entries. In addition to individual entries, members display a themed, group piece. “Paper Trail” is this year’s theme. Each member is given a 12x12 panel with a pre-drawn path on it. Once the unique panels from each member are assembled, the paths will all connect.
“We’re making pieces of art and the principles of art don’t change across medium,” claims Gerson. “Color, balance, unity and value are all of the things we do in collage as in all art forms. The basic grammar doesn’t change.”
An Artist First by Gayle Gerson
One thing that may be different about collage is the amount of time a person spends looking at it. Observers find a completely different experience up close verses at a distance. Up close they see all the parts and pieces, where at a distance they get a full, creative view of landscapes, architecture, people, animals, flowers and abstract art.
“Up close people discover all the little surprises that aren’t apparent from afar,” explains Wilhelm. “People say collage draws them in, makes them look from a different perspective and exclaim ‘Wow, how did they do that?’”
For more information, visit rockymountaincollagesociety.org.