Abstract Collages

Not all artists wield a brush. Abstract artists moved away from realism and, unsurprisingly moved away from conventional methods of creating art by the early 20th century. This avant-garde stance was further developed by artists referred to as Abstract Expressionists. Think Willem de Kooning blending small pebbles with gray paint or of Jackson Pollock piercing holes at the bottom of paint cans and letting it drip out as he walks along the canvas. By challenging conventional ideas about art, such artists could work entirely in the abstract and this approach was also evident in their collages. Like their paintings, Abstract Expressionists' collages showcase an emphasis on color, composition, and emotion. Through simplified silhouettes, blocks of cut-and-glued color, and free-floating, painted lines, the artists added (literal) layers of dimensionality to their already-famous aesthetic. Robert Motherwell's View from a High Tower (1945) perfectly demonstrates the artist's ability to show freedom by combining fabric with torn paper on canvas. Today, numerous artists have kept up the collage tradition, either constructing their assembled compositions by hand or employing digital tools to craft them. Artsper's own collection of contemporary abstract collage works feature Nadine Hardy who lets her material, paint brushes and palette knife guide her wooden panels and Nagsoul who rejects the brush in favor of fire and ink.