Collage

‘Collage appeals to children because it is essentially about transformation: torn strips of paper could become an autumn landscape, while Frankenstein’s monster might emerge from the contents of a rubbish bin.’ (Cole, S. et al) 

This quote sums up the appeal of collage to me, that children can use anything from recycled materials to painted tissue paper created deliberately for the purpose of collaging with. To create our own collages we inked tissue paper to create the desired colours needed and then continued to tear the paper to create desired shapes.

Another appeal of collage is that it is an inclusive technique and you do not need to be the best at drawing or painting. Therefore it may give children within your class the freedom to experiment with shape, texture and colour without the need to make their picture look ‘right’. Being an inclusive side of art this may mean that it would be suited to not only younger children who will be learning through play and experimentation but also to SEN children. This is because it uses gross motor therefore meaning that you need less control or coordination to create a piece of artwork.

This allows them to experiment with the tactile materials on offer, linking to their sensory needs and assisting them to meet their other Personal, Intellectual, Emotional and Social needs highlighted in Maslow’s theory of hierarchy. Within the National Curriculum (1999) collage meets ‘2a. investigate the possibilities of a range of materials and processes’.

I looked at two collage artists related to this topic, Lauren Child who creates collaged book illustrations using different mediums such as wallpapers and magazine clipping and then uses line to draw over the collage to create a drawing. I also looked at Alexandra Milton whose work creates her pictures through collaging handmade paper.

For my own work I chose to use the collage technique and create a seascape.