The timing of your new post is synchronous. My dear friend Virginia has a new collage piece at The Center for Photography at Woodstock (CPW) in upstate NY. The exhibition is called simply `The Rose.' Curated by the artist Justine Kurland and curator Marina Chao. What i love about the show and your work is that they are integrative expressions of an iterative process of healing. Kurland wrote that collage is
'Radical and political by its cut-apart and dissonant nature [and] urges us to honor revision and reprisal as correctives for the skewed lenses that distort our worldview.” Iterative in this context refers to " where one thing turns into another, replacing hierarchies with cyclical, organic, and revolutionary energy." The healing, therapeutic or "corrective" aspect is "cutting, ripping, and rending apart the whole, necessitating the reparative act of gluing, binding, and assembling things into a new unity."
Though the `Rose' exhibition is "feminist collage," the healing process of artistic expression, including collage, as you know, is universal.
Your work is stunning, Stella, on Sundays and all days. Thank you for bringing expression to many who seek to identify and name their own experiences of suffering and joy.
Thank you, Paul! I'll have to check Virginia's work online at CPW. I am familiar with their organization and have followed them for years. They have a yearly artist-in-residence program. I applied last year but didn't make the cut. I don't think my work fits their criteria but will try again!
Thank you, Søren! Something light and fun for a change. I like fleeting between these two practices: photography and collage. Somehow, they compliment each other.
I love the collages in today’s newsletter. The way you describe creating collages feels very much like my own (although, I haven’t made any collages in a while). I love that it’s so intuitive and surprising. I admire your skills working creating digital collages although I don’t think I would enjoy that. Touching the papers, tearing or cutting them, having them spread out all over the place is such an essential part for me. But I love that your special limitations haven’t stopped you from making collages, because you are really good at them!
Thank you, Susanne! I still dream of a small shed where I can have a place to leave my creative mess behind. For now, this will do. Over the years, I've just learned to work with limitations.
These are really wonderful Stella - I do love the image of the man with the pencil and the one next to him. It's fascinating to know your process in building each collage and so good to know that although space is limited that hasn't stopped your creative process.
Thank you, Lin! Don't we all wish we had a trust fund that covered all our needs? But there's truth in being resourceful and working with what we have. I've grown to appreciate limitations and see them as a gift.
Seeing limitations as a gift is a great way of looking at it...in a way they make us more creative in how we approach things. I have to admit I have been frustrated by the financial ones especially since the pandemic, however, like many, I've adapted and just work with what I've got. 😊
Thank you so much, Celia. Coming from someone whose work inspires me, this means a lot. I’m so happy to know my work resonates with you. Here’s to showing up for our art no matter what happens!
Ahh, thank you—that really means a lot. I feel the same about your work—it’s honest and alive in a way that stays with me. Yes to showing up, even on the strange days. Glad to be in the art trenches together.
Hi Stella, I love these collages! You have a real gift for mixed media. You're so good at it! I also really love your ability to balance elements in your work.
Thank you, Martin! I’m glad that broken pencil spoke to you as it did for me— and I felt your excitement too! Thank you for sharing that. I spent at least 2 hours on Artvee—140 pages in, I had to quit or else I won’t get any collages made, Lol!
Hi Stella,
The timing of your new post is synchronous. My dear friend Virginia has a new collage piece at The Center for Photography at Woodstock (CPW) in upstate NY. The exhibition is called simply `The Rose.' Curated by the artist Justine Kurland and curator Marina Chao. What i love about the show and your work is that they are integrative expressions of an iterative process of healing. Kurland wrote that collage is
'Radical and political by its cut-apart and dissonant nature [and] urges us to honor revision and reprisal as correctives for the skewed lenses that distort our worldview.” Iterative in this context refers to " where one thing turns into another, replacing hierarchies with cyclical, organic, and revolutionary energy." The healing, therapeutic or "corrective" aspect is "cutting, ripping, and rending apart the whole, necessitating the reparative act of gluing, binding, and assembling things into a new unity."
Though the `Rose' exhibition is "feminist collage," the healing process of artistic expression, including collage, as you know, is universal.
Your work is stunning, Stella, on Sundays and all days. Thank you for bringing expression to many who seek to identify and name their own experiences of suffering and joy.
Thank you, Paul! I'll have to check Virginia's work online at CPW. I am familiar with their organization and have followed them for years. They have a yearly artist-in-residence program. I applied last year but didn't make the cut. I don't think my work fits their criteria but will try again!
Stella, I really enjoy how you see and make these super collages. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you, Søren! Something light and fun for a change. I like fleeting between these two practices: photography and collage. Somehow, they compliment each other.
Indeed they do!
Stella, I love your collage style and am grateful for you providing a little insight into your creative process.
Thank you, Lo! I so appreciate it.
Always fascinating.
Thank you, Beth! As always, I love hearing from you.
I love the collages in today’s newsletter. The way you describe creating collages feels very much like my own (although, I haven’t made any collages in a while). I love that it’s so intuitive and surprising. I admire your skills working creating digital collages although I don’t think I would enjoy that. Touching the papers, tearing or cutting them, having them spread out all over the place is such an essential part for me. But I love that your special limitations haven’t stopped you from making collages, because you are really good at them!
Thank you, Susanne! I still dream of a small shed where I can have a place to leave my creative mess behind. For now, this will do. Over the years, I've just learned to work with limitations.
These are really wonderful Stella - I do love the image of the man with the pencil and the one next to him. It's fascinating to know your process in building each collage and so good to know that although space is limited that hasn't stopped your creative process.
Thank you, Lin! Don't we all wish we had a trust fund that covered all our needs? But there's truth in being resourceful and working with what we have. I've grown to appreciate limitations and see them as a gift.
Seeing limitations as a gift is a great way of looking at it...in a way they make us more creative in how we approach things. I have to admit I have been frustrated by the financial ones especially since the pandemic, however, like many, I've adapted and just work with what I've got. 😊
Your posts are always a delight. I can only hope to channel even a fraction of your elegance someday.
Thank you so much, Celia. Coming from someone whose work inspires me, this means a lot. I’m so happy to know my work resonates with you. Here’s to showing up for our art no matter what happens!
Ahh, thank you—that really means a lot. I feel the same about your work—it’s honest and alive in a way that stays with me. Yes to showing up, even on the strange days. Glad to be in the art trenches together.
Hi Stella, I love these collages! You have a real gift for mixed media. You're so good at it! I also really love your ability to balance elements in your work.
The broken pencil piece speaks to me massively! 💚
And agreed, Artvee is such a winning resource.
Thank you, Martin! I’m glad that broken pencil spoke to you as it did for me— and I felt your excitement too! Thank you for sharing that. I spent at least 2 hours on Artvee—140 pages in, I had to quit or else I won’t get any collages made, Lol!
Amazing to think that Artvee is just one of so many resources. Not to stop you from arting the actual art, but you may enjoy the rabbit hole of this too: https://wellcomecollection.org/search/images?locations.license=pdm%2Ccc-0
Oooh, thank you! Another rabbit hole for sure. Let me check it out. Thanks Martin!