COLLAGE: The Best in the Business

MARI FOUZ

Mari Fouz, originally from Barcelona, is well known for her collages made with bold use of colour and expression. I like the contrast between the flat colour backgrounds against the black and white textures. The random assortment of images create really interesting compositions which the eye can't help but be drawn to. The range of scales and angles also make Fouz' compositions wonderfully unique and visually striking. 

HAYLEY WARNHAM

Hayley Warnham is an editorial illustrator whose collages I love for the negative space. They are simple yet effective and the bold colours really help emphasise the shapes in the pictures themselves. The images are very spatially aware with clearly lots of thought having been put into the compositions. Often the whole image is not stated but suggested through the gaps which is why these collages are fab at communicating concepts.

MIRA DIAB

I find Mira Diab's collages striking for the reason of their simplicity. A lot of collages can feel very busy with many different images, so these are a refreshing contrast which I think work just as well. They communicate abstract ideas in a bold way, and if anything their simplicity conveys the idea in a more unambiguous manner. The neutral colour palettes also provide a nice variation on collages which typically use colour in a bold way. 

CHRISTOPH NIEMANN

I recently discovered Christoph Niemann's work through the book Pianoforte where he documents his challenges in learning to play the piano through a series of charming illustrations. What I really like about Niemann's collages are the use of everyday objects to create second meanings in unusual ways which one would not expect. The items give the pictures a great three dimensional quality which I like.  

KAREN LYNCH

sThe reason I like Karen Lynch's collages is for the vintage/retro quality which evoke feelings of times gone by, although when, I couldn't tell you. What I particularly like about these images is the fact they're not widely abstract; you'd be forgiven for mistaking the lemon for a real sun in the first second of seeing the image. This authentic feel is what gives Lynch's collages their own unique style which I really like.   

ELYSE JOKINEN

I love Elyse Jokinen's collages because of how abstract they are. Even after studying them for a while, I still can't really make out the meaning but that's what I like about collages- they don't need to make all that much sense, one can just appreciate them from a visual perspective without taking a great depth of understanding away. My particular favourite is the woman wearing vegetables- a very random combination but one which the eye is drawn to and makes for a striking visual.