Retrospective Painted Canvas Collages

The collages are original works, formed by bringing together pieces of previously painted acrylic on canvas. These are considered retrospective because they employ pieces of painted canvas from past years, remainders of unfinished works, off cuts from shaping past canvases from as early as 1976 up to 2000, providing me with a very large palette from which to compose.  They range in size from miniatures of 8 x 6 inches to extra large,  60 x 48 inch canvases., with a few mural scale pieces of 60 x 144 inches.

I start with the bands of collage and paint in colour which enhances the pre painted collage. In the larger collages the increased size allows for a more open space, if desired, and gives the individual works usually an enhanced characteristic of one colour. 

My compositions have associations with forms in nature, especially surfaces, foliage, rocks and mountains. These associations are inherent and are cultivated in the topographical way in which I paint (by pouring paint flat on the floor, allowing, and causing, fissures in the paint to form) and in the many past painting techniques I have employed. The range of colour and composition of these pieces is typical of my full palette and shares the same positive spirit as in all my paintings, prints and watercolours.

My compositions and palette are directly influenced by the characteristics of the collage I choose. I have no rules. I follow what my eye and what my senses tell me, attempting to unify, the expression and character, pictorially of whatever I do. I naturally summon all the principles of painting that I have practiced over many years of painting see Thoughts on Painting.

I have chosen mostly a vertical banded composition because they provide a more equivocal balance as opposed to the top bottom pejorative character of the horizontal landscape composition.  In the Armory Suite Collages of 2002, I explored a more varied compositional theme using a mix of verticals, diagonals, curves and some horizontal elements.  Each group of works presents its own possibilities and I am guided by the 'highs' of my past work to inspire me. 

This interest in collage was first triggered by the invitation from Belgian philosopher Marcel Paquet to provide a suite of small works as catalogue covers for a New New Painting exhibition, at the Grande Palais in Bruxelles, sponsored in 1993 by the Walloon Cultural Ministry of the Belgian Government.  

My joy of making collage works continued and I made further groups of small scale works, but in 2011 I spent the year working on collages and enlarged the sizes of the canvas to 24 x 20 inches , then 40 x 30 inches and finally 60 x 48 inches.

You can click here to view photos of an Open Studio display from December of 2011 . 

Some of these suites are titled after places I have visited as with the Turkish Suite following an Artists' workshop in Dinizli Turkey, where I make the Pamukkali lino prints.  Whether I am painting land or seascapes from observation or working 'abstractly' I am always responding via the sensations I receive from observation.

This recalls for me a quote of the painter Hans Hoffman visiting the studio of abstract painter Jackson Pollock, observing that he would become repetitive if he did not draw from nature, to which Pollock replied "I am nature".

The site includes extensive galleries of these collages: simply click on the Galleries menu link in the above header, and click on Collages.

The collages come mostly framed in a custom hand gold leafed molding but  can be framed to suit the interior decor of where they are to be hung. They are sold framed or unframed and ship by courier worldwide.  For prices and shipping details contact peacock @ shawbiz.ca

The image above gives a good indication of the relative sizes of the different collages.