Contemporary Collage

Excerpt form ART TRENDS September 2000

by Sandy Mitchell

It has been said that art imitates life. In today's fast paced world, where everyday reality seems mingled with chaos, the resurgence of a genre of artwork coined, collage, montage, assemblage, found art or constructive art is doing just that.Karen Schweitzer, product development manager for Winn Devon art group in Seattle, has recently recognized the sophisticated collage works of emerging Chicago -area artist Cheryl Holz. Winn Devon was drawn to the art of Holz because it embodies a strong reference to nature, which is an important motif in todays decorative tends. nature represents a retreat or serenity- much like the trend toward spa or zen type imagery that is in high demand in the decorative market today. Holz describes her fascination with the collage process as a logical extension of her years of working with all types of artistic media. "I came to a point where I felt limited using only one type of material in crating art" she says. I felt restrained, with a limited vocabulary. I use collage materials as a metaphor for other things: a mood, an emotion, an idea. I have realized that found objects bring a history to a pieces, as if they had a former life, and I am gibing it new meaning in the context of my work. an object can inspire a work of art, or it can add a new dimension to a work already in progress. It is fun to view everything as potential art material- debris on the street, a wine bottle label, even bugs! Much of Holz's work is highly textural. Reproducing such multi-dimensional work can present special challenges in the reproduction process. For Winn Devon, the natural texture of an original collage is largely translated through careful attention to the shadows and highlights captured in the printing process. Holz's reproductions also require a metallic foil application, like that used in her original work.

An art collectors attraction to this highly personal form of expression also lies in the narrative and metaphorical dexterity of the collage technique. Whether guided consciously or subconsciously, the universal appeal of a montage of imagery and the role of a symbolic, visual element can play in the fusion of an artistic statement .seems to possess a universal language. Cheryl Holz's art speaks this universal language.