International Collage Art Exhibition 2026

July 7th, 2026

“The artistic practice of John Andrew Dixon emerges from many years of experience in graphic design and a deeply considered engagement with the history of collage. He has developed a distinctive visual language in which compositional precision meets intuitive improvisation, and discarded material acquires renewed aesthetic value. Combining the discipline of a designer with the sensitivity of a landscape painter, Dixon approaches collage simultaneously as an image and as a material artifact.”
— Anna Kłos
 


 
This Thursday, July 9th, is the opening of the International Collage Art Exhibition in Poland at the University of Warsaw Library. It is an honor to have my nonrepresentational collage artwork as part of the landmark show. This body of work has been curated by Dr Anna Kłos, her fourth installment of an international project dedicated to contemporary collage art. It coincides with the 10th anniversary of Retroavangarda, the gallery that she organized to showcase her scholarship.


Modern Collage will be released as an accompanying publication, and I am pleased to announce that Wind Harbor and other examples of my work will be included.

The exhibition has been honored by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland. Official partners of Anna’s project include the Spanish Embassy, Argentinian Embassy, and the Czech Center in Warsaw. From what I understand, the display is scheduled over the next couple years for travel to selected museums across Europe. Presenting the work of 75 collage artists from around the world, it will highlight key developments and current trends in contemporary collage. I am proud to be one of the few artists representing North America and to be among the 50 artists chosen to appear in the new book.

Do I wish I could get on a jet with Dana and be there for the gala event? Of course — but “them cards ain’t been dealt yet.” I am more than satisfied to have recognition for my effort within the medium. Time will tell what the future holds.
 

Hot Ode (to jazz)
collage miniature by J A Dixon
2021, 3.5625 x 4.375 inches
collection of Retroavangarda

Posted in A Kłos, Collage, D L Dixon, Exhibitions, Honors, J A Dixon, Museums, Publications | No Comments »

Outside the greenhouse this time . . .

July 6th, 2026

This is my other new collage that is part of the “Gathered in the Garden” exhibition at Kleinhelter Gallery. If you are in the Louisville area and have never been across the river to visit this space in downtown New Albany, make it a point to do so over the next couple weeks. It’s a great summer show, and you’ll see all four of my originals on display.
 

Mood Marigold
still life collage by J A Dixon
found paper, tea bags, tissue, gel transfers
on canvas panel, 10 x 8 inches
with handcrafted oak frame
available for purchase

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The 3rd of July ~ 250 years later

July 3rd, 2026

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”
 

John Adams reportedly thought that today, the 3rd, should have been the best observance, since it more properly fit the signers’ act, with the 4th having been the public disclosure. It bears keeping in mind that tomorrow we also observe the bicentennial of the death of Adams and Jefferson, who both passed on the same day, July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration.

They are 18th-century men with flaws, of course, but we can never learn too much about these great revolutionaries, who, perhaps more than anyone of their time, helped articulate for posterity the American heart and mind. It is now our job to preserve for the future the true principles of what it means to live free under God.

I finally finished the McCullough biography. The new Metaxas book is a holiday present from Dana — toward the noble cause of getting my knowledge past being merely “dangerous.”
 

 

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At the Greenhouse

July 2nd, 2026

This collage began as an on-site impression during a PAACK outing to the amazing Michler’s of Lexington, and then it became an extended studio interpretation from the photo reference I took away.

Currently on display and available at the incomparable Kleinhelter Gallery during their “Gathered in the Garden” show in New Albany, Indiana!
 

At the Greenhouse
still life collage by J A Dixon
found paper, tea bags, tissue, gel transfers, and litter
on canvas panel, 8 x 10 inches
with handcrafted oak frame
available for purchase

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The East Village Seen . . .

June 29th, 2026

“Although I have tiny, weak wrists and painful thumb joints, the great blessing of my life has been my able hands, ever responsive to what in contrast has always seemed to be a limited and resistant creative vision, more prone to disappoint than my loyal dexterity.”
— journal, 1/12/25
 

It is fortunate indeed that one of the most extraordinary heritage sites in the Midwest happens to be located nearby — Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. One would think that an artist fond of working outside might make art there often. I have not. The probable reason is that I did not consider my evolving skills up to the task — until recently. Or perhaps I should say that it was never about a facility with paper at all, but more to do with an apparent reluctance to interpreting landmark-worthy scenes.

I am getting past that stumbling block, thank goodness.

I began with the sheep enclosure. During my first visit, I sketched a workshop and dwelling on the east side of the settlement, too. When I returned to that same spot, I focused on completing the drystone-lined pen, but kept pasting paper on the other architectural composition now featured here. Documenting my time in its studio follow-up was not precise, so I describe East Village as a plein-air piece with hesitation, although it has the spirit of one for sure. My goal was to capture the dignity of the setting with a rustic effect. As part of the finished look, I preserved rough edges of a scrounged substrate. Your opinion would be of interest to me!

 

East Village
Mercer County, Kentucky
 
collage en plein air by J A Dixon
found paper, gel transfers, tissue, tea bags
on vintage notebook cover, 12.5 x 6 inches

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Hitting my lick at “Paint the Town 2026”

June 27th, 2026

“He was working at a pace he knew he could sustain until quitting time; he was hitting his lick. The difficulty had come to be balanced by his being equal to it. He seemed almost to be gliding, as if drawn on now not by will but by gravity.”
— Wendell Berry, ”A Friend of Mine” from That Distant Land
 

My collage painting sold at the “Paint the Town” reception on Saturday evening. No matter how much preparation I do, the annual plein-air challenge forces me to cut and paste faster than at any other time. This year I made a tiny preliminary study of my intended composition the previous day, and I think that helped me stay impressionistic enough to meet the speed constraint. My thanks to Kate Savage and all her Arts Connect board members who created another successful, celebratory event — plus the artwork buyer, too!

The resulting exhibition is on display at the Main Lexington Public Library until mid July. Visit the Arts Shop with this link to purchase other creations from the day — for as long as they last!
 

Aspect with Apse
St Peter Church, Lexington, Kentucky
 
collage en plein air by J A Dixon
on stretched canvas 10 x 10 inches
plus handcrafted wood frame

•  S O L D

Posted in Collage, Constraints, En Plein Air, Exhibitions, J A Dixon, K Savage, Landscape, Links, Paint the Town Series | No Comments »

“Dry Day” kicks off my outside season!

June 15th, 2026

 

Dry Day on the Fork
Boyle County, Kentucky
 
collage en plein air by J A Dixon
scrounged paper, litter, gel transfers, tea bags, dried botanicals
on canvas panel, 10 x 8 inches

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View my collage landscape galleries —

May 11th, 2026


Recent Landscapes
As I continue
“painting in papers”

 
LITTER-ally KENTUCKY
Also available as
giclée prints

 
A Change of Seen
When I took paper and
paste outside

 
Les Cheneaux Series
Inspired by the
northern waters
 

Posted in 1) Available!, J A Dixon, Landscape, Links, Priorities | 1 Comment »

Pasting truth to power . . .

May 9th, 2026

…on World Collage Day 2026!
Down with AI art! Analog collage forever!
 

Paste the Planet
collage miniature by J A Dixon
6.5 x 10 inches

Posted in 1) Available!, Catharsis, Collage, Criticism | No Comments »

Explore!

May 8th, 2026

“What I capture in spite of myself interests me more than my own ideas.”
—Pablo Picasso

“If you understand your painting beforehand, you might as well not paint it.”
– Salvador Dali
 

Small-format collage is an ideal medium for artistic experimentation. Finding a balance of color and form can combine with a spontaneity of meaning. It’s rewarding to do these exercises with scrounged material that otherwise would be discarded forever. Anybody can cut and paste! Who needs this cursed AI to fulfill the creative impulse?
 

On Those Who Dwell
collage experiment by J A Dixon
scrounged paper, tea bags, packaging
4.875 x 6.625 inches

Posted in Experiments, P Picasso, S Dali | No Comments »

In preparation for the coming plein-air season:

April 30th, 2026

 

Overflow
Casey County, Kentucky
 
collage landscape by J A Dixon
scrounged paper, gel transfers, tissue, tea bags
on book cover, 11.125 x 7.875 inches

Posted in 1) Available!, Landscape | No Comments »

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