7 Hidden layers
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‘Through a process of removal and retrieval works become dense, wrought and sculptural. Mistakes and pentimenti hide in plain sight.’ Anthony Banks – artist Creating collages from found and existing materials can be cathartic as well as thought and memory provoking. We consciously and subconsciously make visual connections. Shape, colour, texture, pictures and words can often be a trigger. What is important is your focus on the activity – try to avoid other distractions or conversations. Begin by not over-planning: use old magazines, newspapers, coloured/recycled paper – whatever you have that is paper based to hand.
Let your mind guide you. Focus on words that grab your attention, some of these may lead to sentences that you can build. Images that you can relate to or draw you in, the same with textures and colour. Play with the arrangement, it is important to allow a layering process and not to care too much about covering over a word or image. This can be significant – knowing you can create a message and then cover it up is important for your own process of confronting and dealing with memory, experience etc. Once you have a few layers down you can build into this by writing messages, memories, hopes, worries, dreams, fears. Then continue the layering process – cover some of these up, you can leave some partially or fully exposed or cover and even tear back into the collage to reveal. The hidden layers contain your thoughts – a map of you at this time and it may be that you come back to this at another time and re- explore it, tear back layers to reveal what is underneath.
Being creative keeps you well
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