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Why are so many artists are picking up their scissors in the name of collage?

It is the medium of the decade, with Tame Impala and Grimes sporting collage based album covers of psychedelic proportions.

Originating from the French term meaning “to glue”, collage had it’s humble beginnings rooted in cut and paste techniques.

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Collage was first publicly recognised through the pivotal later works of Henri Mattise, who referred to the art form as “painting with scissors.”

As the new wave of collage enthusiasm has sailed on, artistic techniques have progressed to more complicated processes of photo-montaging and mixed media assembly made possible by the oh so handy photoshop.

Collage art, after a few decades of neglect, is coming back in a big way and carrying with it some incredibly talented artists who engage with the art form in exceptionally diverse ways.

Happy met previously with Sydney based collage artist Chris Town, who takes a purist approach to collaging in his Proof of Life exhibition. In a quest to counter the cultural saturation of social media, Town assembles mementos loaded with symbolic meaning onto white canvas.

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The works of Australian graphic designer Leif Podhajský have graced the album covers and posters of major recording artists, contrasting urban and natural images to create a bizarre landscape that never gets boring to look at.

Yokoland is a Norwegian design studio known for their innovating and lighthearted approach to the medium. Their works, fusing both digital and print forms, have been exhibited in the New York Times.

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This is a testament to the resonating quality of the artworks produced in the unpredictable and quirky  genre.

Let’s hope we can keep riding this wave of love. The potential for growth in the expanding art form is pretty damn electrifying.