A collage is a form of visual art that involves creating an image by pasting or gluing various materials onto a flat surface. These materials can include photographs, magazine images, fabric, paper, and other found objects. The term “collage” comes from the French word for “glue,” as the process often involves using adhesive to attach different elements together.
Collage is typically associated with the art movements of Cubism and Surrealism in the early 20th century, when artists like Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque began experimenting with combining various materials into their paintings. However, collage has since become a popular form of expression across many different mediums, including photography, digital media, and even sculpture.
In essence, a collage is an artistic composition that combines multiple elements to create a unified whole – much like a puzzle or a mosaic. The result can be both visually striking and conceptually rich, as the artist has the ability to convey complex ideas through the use of found imagery.