This is from my advanced life drawing class from last year. I've had this buried within a bunch other work and haven't really done anything with it. People tend to be intrigued by this piece from some reason, though I do believe it was an interesting way of drawing the figure with collage elements. It isn't exactly my favorite, but it is worth showing.

This is part of my circles series that I've been developing ever since the first large one I've ever done. They are constructed in the same manner as my ovals, only they are circles. These are from the smaller ones, roughly 4 inches in diameter, this I made into a diptych. This diptych format occurred by happenstance since I made one circle outline and simply forgot about it. But when it reemerged I noticed that there was just enough room to add another circle that would then make an interesting connection between the two. Its important for me to bring the 'happenstance' to mind because that is how I process my collages when I work in the beginning. I lay down pieces depending on color and percentages with the white background, then begin to play off of other found pieces that correspond with other shapes, whether I'm playing off of other pieces according to line, shape, color, etc.

I juxtaposed these collages intentionally. With the exception that they have a different color formula and size [the top being larger than the bottom] they have different spacial qualities. The top for how I see it has a Cubist space with diagonal, pattern, and edge shifts that allows you to move your eye around the fragmented image. Whereas the bottom has a flatness and color play that Hofmann created in his abstract paintings. Will Barnet, who happens to be a Beverly native, always felt strong about creating flatness in his work which comes from his inspiration to Indian miniatures. Though these artists are painters they work in the same tradition as collage and vice versa. It is interesting to see how flatness and color play a major role for developing paintings, whether it is abstract or reality. That is what fascinates me when developing collage, it even allows to me to see invention of space and mood in my paintings. I think it's important for any painter to at least be familiar with collage and understand its history, but that's my opinion.

Second post of collages, simply to have more than two pieces up. These are smaller ones that I've done. There are from some pieces that are composed to have a play with flatness in space.

Here are the first collages to post. These are the first oval pieces I've done so far, I was able to maintain the shape by tracing with an old photography boarder so whenever I laid a piece down around the edges I would cut along those edges. The bottom piece will be at the Beverly High School Alumni show coming up in May along with two abstract paintings, one in watercolor and the other with acrylic.

Welcome!

Welcome to my collage blog, where you will find current updates about my collages as well as any postings that talk about my work. Here is where you will be able to view my recent work and get an idea of how I construct my collages. Essentially this is the image resource for anyone who is unable or yet to see what I do. This may also be a source to contact me for any further information, whether it'd be comments, exhibitions, etc. This is my first blog ever posted for my artwork so I hope this will be useful to some who are interested in what I do, enjoy!

-Brett Mason