{"id":21711,"date":"2016-03-08T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-03-08T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/picsart.com\/blog\/?p=21711"},"modified":"2020-08-19T10:02:55","modified_gmt":"2020-08-19T17:02:55","slug":"collages-speak-louder-words-womens-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/picsart.com\/blog\/collages-speak-louder-words-womens-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Collages That Speak Louder Than Words on Women’s Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/b>The early twentieth century was a tumultuous period of world history. To say the least.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Women's<\/a>
It sure was. (@veroklo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For starters, it was\u00a0host to the birth of the collage as an artistic concept and medium. And its ability to boldly integrate physical materials, even those not traditionally associated with artworks up until that point, revolutionized modern art.<\/p>\n

\"Women's<\/a>
@veroklo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It also witnessed the birth of the\u00a0first International Women’s Day, celebrated in 1911, made possible in part by the burgeoning socialist movements that\u00a0sought to unify the working class, turning a blind eye to gender. As a political and economic theory, socialism’s\u00a0rejection of traditional, subordinating stereotypes towards women revolutionized gender politics of the time.<\/p>\n

While Women\u2019s Day\u2019s socialist roots appear to have simmered down to some extent and the collage no longer holds quite the revolutionary potential it once did (<\/span>nothing shocks the art world anymore<\/span><\/a>), focusing on ways in which these two worlds collide seems appropriate, especially as over the 20th century, Women\u2019s Day has often been associated with powerful imagery (found in the hundreds of now <\/span>highly coveted graphic posters<\/span><\/a> that remain).<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Women's<\/a>
@veroklo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This is why, today, we\u2019re looking at both in the work of V\u00e9ronique Klotz (<\/span>@veroklo<\/span><\/a>).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Klotz is an artist based in France, whose style is characterized by a punky patchwork of physical materials and digital edits. Much of her higher education has been devoted to studying art and, while it is not her profession per se<\/em>,\u00a0it is a passionate hobby. The quietly\u00a0fierce energy of her\u00a0collages, often featuring\u00a0compelling depictions of women, has earned her an impressive following on PicsArt over the last several\u00a0<\/strong>years. Klotz\u00a0revealed\u00a0in an interview that\u00a0she is drawn to collage as an artistic medium for the\u00a0abstraction it brings to her\u00a0drawings and\u00a0paintings. “<\/span>The drawings,” she says, “turn into something completely new with the help of the layers.”<\/p>\n

\"Women's<\/a>
@veroklo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Within the physical realm, Klotz\u00a0makes frequent use of newspaper clippings, colored paper, old mathematics worksheets, and photographs, which form pieces of the backdrop to a choppily cut photograph or a delicate, hand-drawn illustration.<\/p>\n

She also experiments a great deal within the digital realm, and her digital edits are equally compelling. “Digital collages are a way to create imaginary works with photos or elements of textures that we dispose of. Collages provide endless possibilities for unique creations.”<\/p>\n

When her subject matter isn’t women, she tends to experiment with an element of surrealism by placing animals in\u00a0unexpected contexts, as in the image below, which she says is\u00a0one of the first images she created on PicsArt, and also her\u00a0favorite. <\/span><\/p>\n

It was inspired by handmade paper collages that have cut elements glued on flat areas without the perspective effect. This collage can be viewed as a celebration of nature or a desire to return to basics. In fact, everyone can choose to interpret the work differently, depending on their perspective.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Women's<\/a>
@veroklo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But don\u2019t mistake the\u00a0rebellious\u00a0aesthetic that guide’s Klotz’s works for carelessness. Each piece in her\u00a0gallery is meticulously arranged and the immense attention to detail is evident in the YouTube videos she posts alongside some of her images.<\/p>\n