Collage, Assemblage, and Altered Art: Creating Unique Images and Objects

Collage is more than a pile of snapshots and a glue stick. So much more. Let Collage, Assemblage, and Altered Art lead the way to a whole new way of creating collage! Artist and author Diane Maurer-Mathison begins the book with an overview of collage, including history, tools, and techniques, plus materials and principles of color and design. Then it’s on to the collage projects, from traditional layered-paper-and-glue creations to photomontage to mixed media to digital collage. Next comes assemblage, with three-dimensional objects added to the collage mix to produce memory and shadow boxes, shrines, art dolls, jewelry, and sculpture. The last section, on altered art, reveals how collage and assemblage techniques can be used to transform ordinary objects into extraordinary art. Detailed step-by-steps and clear instructions, plus beautiful full-color photographs of collage, assemblage, and altered art by noted artists, make this the complete reference guide to collage in every dimension.

• Collage is hot—assemblage and altered art are the next wave

• Dozens of innovative techniques

• Lets crafters push the papercrafting envelope with new ideas and inspiration

A complete compendium—the first book to combine all three forms of collage

Collage is more than a pile of snapshots and a glue stick. So much more. Let Collage, Assemblage, and Altered Art lead the way to a whole new way of creating collage! Artist and author Diane Maurer-Mathison begins the book with an overview of collage, including history, tools, and techniques, plus materials and principles of color and design. Then it’s on to the collage projects, from traditional layered-paper-and-glue creations to photomontage to mixed media to digital collage. Next comes assemblage, with three-dimensional objects added to the collage mix to produce memory and shadow boxes, shrines, art dolls, jewelry, and sculpture. The last section, on altered art, reveals how collage and assemblage techniques can be used to transform ordinary objects into extraordinary art. Detailed step-by-steps and clear instructions, plus beautiful full-color photographs of collage, assemblage, and altered art by noted artists, make this the complete reference guide to collage in every dimension.

• Collage is hot—assemblage and altered art are the next wave

• Dozens of innovative techniques

• Lets crafters push the papercrafting envelope with new ideas and inspiration

Constance Ashmore - Library Journal

Collage artists are always looking for ideas going beyond the usual flat paper or mixed-media assemblage. Both of these books emphasize three-dimensional projects in addition to flat items. Browning (Paper Mosaics in an Afternoon) has practical step-by-step projects incorporating jewelry, place mats, and paperweights. Maurer-Mathison (Paper in Three Dimensions) presents projects by many artists that sometimes take a more surreal approach, often transforming found objects into dolls or altered art. She also offers tips for using unusual papers and construction materials. Both books are good sources of ideas and would be useful in collections needing more papercraft material.

Diane Maurer-Mathison has work in many museums around the world, including the Cooper-Hewitt Museum and the Harvard University Library. Her books include Art of the Scrapbook and Paper in Three Dimensions. She lives in Spring Mills, Pennsylvania.