Recently I was asked to give some further advice on adding text to collage. The person inquiring feared that adding words to their beautiful pieces might potentially ruin them if they did the wrong thing. Having been there myself, I could really relate to their apprehension. As a result, I’ve decided, for the next few blog entries, to look back on my journey as a collagist attempting to integrate my personal thoughts and feelings into my work through text and give you some tips.
Why Complicate Images with Words?
If you firmly believe in the power of images, it’s a bit of a conundrum to contemplate adding text/words to your art. Some believe they have no place in visual art and that they belong to the realm of literature. After all, when used effectively, images are as powerful as words. You must have heard the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” so why complicate things especially if an image clearly reveals its message and adding a word or more might end up being repetitive and unnecessary. In some cases, it may even deter viewers from exploring or “reading” the visual worlds you’ve created. So why spoil a perfectly good collage by adding writing to it? Well, for me as with the artists I admire, I’ve done so because I love taking chances and pushing the boundaries of my art further. Ever since I went to art school and saw people like Barbara Kruger, Carl Beam and Duane Michaels using text in their artwork… some personal, some derived from media sources, I knew it would be one of the challenges I wanted to take on in my art too.
Transforming “Mistakes” into “Opportunities”…
At first I was afraid of messing up my pristine collages with words. There were so many things to consider when adding them: were they really necessary? What they would say? What style and colour they would be? Where I would place them? I eventually got over this fear because what was important to me was learning to create work that was emotionally powerful and compelling and I knew in this endeavour that my art would be suffering some casualties in the process of experimenting to uncover the answers to these questions. The importance of taking chances was impressed upon me in a series of workshops I’d taken given by extreme visual journalist: Juliana Coles. In her class, Coles dared us to create “ugly” journal pages in the name of innovation and experimentation. In order to do this, we knew we could no longer view our pages as potential masterpieces. Since then I’ve learned to view every piece I make as an experiment in learning to push my art to its fullest expressive potential. That’s why I always say being a good visual artist is a lot like being a mad scientist! There’ve been plenty of pieces that I’ve buggered up along the way but these have been golden learning opportunities. As much as I’d like to call them “mistakes”, I’ve learned they’re crucial learning guides to improving my collage techniques. Without them, I wouldn’t be the artist I am today. It’s in struggling every step of the way that we learn to grow in our art practice. Most of us are not born art prodigies; instead we must work diligently to become good at what we do. With each unsuccessful piece, I assess my “mistakes” and find ways of setting them straight. In doing this, I learn to be more innovative and creative. Every collage is an experiment in pushing the boundaries of my knowledge of collage. I can’t stress enough how important maintaining this attitude is in developing your own art work… ultimately, it’s the thing that gave me the power to inscribe some soul into my work with pencils, markers and pens! And I encourage you to do the same!
Michelle Casey, Untitled Journal Page, Mixed Media/Collage, 8.5 x 6 inches, March 3 2010
To conclude, I’ll share a sample of a piece I learned much from. This visual journal page (above) was made while taking a course with artist Kelly Kilmer; it lists the many careers I’ve had while maintaining my art practice. I loved the composition, visually and texturally; my friend Diane thought was cool because it reminded her of looking into a keyhole into someone’s private room. When it came to adding text, however, no matter where or how I placed my list, I didn’t like the way it appeared horizontally or vertically on the page. So I was forced to consider other options for displaying it and I decided to add it a circular/radiating fashion around the focal (main) image which I really ended up liking. It made me realize that words don’t always have to be read across or up and down the page… that they could follow the shapes/forms within my collages creating more interest and giving the composition a stronger visual impact. Further, the writing also became a visual element in that it appears like a drawn circle around the focal – so neat! I also learned that my white pen wrote best on surfaces that were semi-gloss or matte (not glossy!) – I had to remember to strategically choose the papers I chose for my writing sections earlier so I could actually write on them! I also had to consider what colour pen to use, as black shows up best on lighter backgrounds and white on dark ones. So much learning from just one journal page!
Texts on Journal Page Above: In circle… “Being a visual artist has meant taking on several careers to support my habit of creating art.”; Radiating text… “baby sitter, telephone operator, restaurant hostess, gift shop cashier, hair salon receptionist, market research surveyor, secretary, security coordinator, human resources clerk, training assistant, graphic design specialist, web designer, teaching assistant, teacher, research assistant, researcher, office administrator, visual artist.
Additional Writing Tips:
The following is a list of permanent pens that write on most surfaces. Special thanks to Kelly Kilmer and Heather Hayley (Heather’s Stamping Haven) for giving me these tips:
– Black Micron pen (they come in a variety of other colours)
– White Signo Uniball pen (they come in red, blue, gold and silver)
– Permanent Sakura coloured pens: Gelly Roll, Soufflé, Metallic or Star pens
– Sharpie permanent markers
BTW writing your text on transparency film and moving it around the page will help you decide where to place your text in your piece without actually writing on it right away – This is something I discovered on my own!
If you have any thoughts or tips regarding adding text to artwork I’d love to hear them.
Other Related Links:
How to Make a Collage Artist Trading Card (See “Finding the Right Text” section)
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