Inspiring Reads: Cutting Edges, Contemporary Collage

Collage, for me is a technique that I dip in and out of. I love the possibilities of collage and the restrictions in only being able to use what you have in front of you. I used the word 'technique' because for me collage is a way of getting out of a creative rut and I use it as a stepping stone to creating a finished piece using embroidery or paint. Collage for some artists is not a 'technique' but an art form. Many interesting pieces of work have been created using the old fashioned technique of cut up images along with the more modern technique of digital manipulation.
 
Gestalten celebrated contemporary collage with the publication of Cutting Edges: Contemporary Collage in 2011. This book has been on my wish list for a while mostly because the RRP is £37.50 which exceeds my normal expenditure on a book but hey its my birthday so I thought why not?

I'm glad I made the splurge. At first glance the book didn't disappoint but certainly didn't bowl me over. Normally in this price range books are finished with a bit of luxury, usually an embossed title if nothing else. Getting past the very average book jacket the content certainly doesn't disappoint. For a visual person this book is packed with images from contemporary artists using collage in a variety of ways. The images are large and clear with an average of 3 or 4 images per artist. At the beginning of the book we are given an introduction to collage and how this artform has developed over the years. The one slight drawback is the lack of info given on each artist but to be honest I often find these short bio's quite tedious unless they give an insight into the artist's practice.

If collage is your thing or you're looking for a bit of visual inspiration I would definitely give this book a chance. You can buy it here.