Surrealism « The Collage Miniaturist

Archive for the ‘Surrealism’ Category

Catharsis series extends itself

Wednesday, June 12th, 2024

My third rule of collage: Intuition is worthy of your trust.

Taken to fruition, a catharsis of the unconscious is always a possibility with this medium. And so, my peculiar series continues in a thought-provoking manner.

Posted in Catharsis, Collage, J A Dixon, Surrealism | No Comments »

IMCAC Collage Exchange ~ Warfare Series

Saturday, April 27th, 2024

The recent Baker’s Half Dozen Collage Exchange sparked a new series of miniatures that quickly took on a warfare theme. Now to see which one the Museum retains for its permanent collection.

My eleven-part Warfare Series originated with no conscious intent nor anticipated interpretation and potentially serves as a kind of “collage rorschach.” Images that personify both the greatest evil and the highest good have always found inclusion in my collage artwork from time to time. This kind of art is very different than my representational collage, although both are based on re-using and manipulating found paper that has little, if any, intrinsic value. Juxtaposing the detritus of our culture within this practice offers creative choices about what to use and what to ignore. I continue to be interested in the complex relationship between spontaneity, intuitive judgment, and subjective awareness.

Posted in C Touchon, Exchange, Gift Art, J A Dixon, March Exercise, Merz, Methodology, Surrealism, Theme/Variation, Warfare Series | No Comments »

The Lived Life: Finality

Wednesday, March 1st, 2023

Three more solutions that use two Februllage prompts, plus a single-catalyst collage for the 20th and final piece, and the series is finished. I even tricked myself into creating a miniature self portrait. This project has provided a stimulating acceleration into March, traditionally one of my busiest studio months of the year. See you in April!

Posted in Collage, Constraints, Februllage, J A Dixon, Portraits, Surrealism, The Lived Life Series | No Comments »

The Lived Life: Duplicity

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023

I’ve stuck with doubling the Februllage prompts to close out this series. A few of them have pleased me conceptually from the point of completion. Many of the others still look a bit bizarre to my eye, even though they work from a distance as successful color-quantity abstractions.

Posted in Abstraction, Collage, Constraints, Februllage, J A Dixon, Surrealism, The Lived Life Series | No Comments »

The Lived Life: Adaptability

Monday, February 13th, 2023

In order to preserve more time for the completion of plein-air landscapes, it’s necessary to reduce the Februllage series, and so I’ve started “doubling up” on the catalyzing prompts. Apparently the impetus for Merz has been formulating for awhile. The classical methodology can dominate my workload if permitted. So far, this series has been a stimulating experiment with distinctly surreal tones. It’s interesting to notice a boost in manual dexterity when I increase the pace of intuitive assembly. Instead of getting “sloppier,” I tend to tighten up and attune to mechanical and compositional precision, even as the juxtapositions become more illogical. I never run out of steam with this medium.

Such a splendid blend of craft and psychological dynamics!

Posted in Collage, Constraints, Februllage, J A Dixon, Methodology, Surrealism, Technique, The Lived Life Series | No Comments »

The Lived Life: Priority

Wednesday, February 8th, 2023

Daily collage miniatures at this level have a way of elbowing their way into a sense of one’s studio priorities. If I don’t accommodate a comprehensive intensity that includes appropriate progress on my landscapes, a February mid-course correction will be in order.

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The Lived Life ~ a new series prompted by Februllage

Saturday, February 4th, 2023

My intention was to boost intensity in the studio, so I began a new series in the Merz tradition. Each piece is based on daily Februllage prompts. The hypothesis: by keeping myself even busier, I’ll get more achieved this month than the artwork directly related to the series ritual. View the first four pieces. Check back to see if my plan works.