STOP SUFFERING- A Look into This Collage
I love this collage I made in 2024. It’s my most simple collage and there’s still a lot to it. I was flipping through some random scraps I’d been saving, and certain ones were calling to me. The more I added, removed, and rearranged trash and clippings, the more I considered boredom, responsibility, and the importance of a close girlfriend. Slowly, I pieced together a story of a girl with a yearning and desire for something much bigger than her small town. I don’t usually have one specific meaning or message that I want to convey through my art, especially my collages. Same goes for this one. Whatever this collage makes you feel is the truth. I’m writing to share my thought process behind each piece and to try and site my sources.
Let’s begin with that wonderful grocery list. I found it left behind by a customer at the cafe where I work. I have other interesting lists and scribbles collected from that cafe, but those are for another time. The flowers I added for a bit of privacy. We still get a lovely image from what we can see. That being said, I love how you can quickly form assumptions about the list’s original owner. Firstly, she’s a mature woman. The handwriting, the medication, the attention to hygiene, and the fact that both lotion and moisturizer are included. She’s organized and money conscious, noted by what I assume to be a reminder regarding Walgreen’s reward program. She enjoys a bottle of wine, but isn’t picky. She loves a little snack and is very thoughtful of her friend Robin, who she knows to enjoy Tate’s Cookies. The magic of a collage is taking something so insignificant and giving it a forever spotlight. If I hadn’t picked up this trash and saw its potential, we never would be able to experience such a special and interesting gift. Thank you, stranger, for your contribution to this collage and for such an intimate glimpse into your life.
Now, to the right of that list, you’ll see some cats on the roof. I can’t remember where I got that clipping; some random magazine or photo book. Honestly, there’s not much to say about the cats. I like how mischievous they look and how the roof fits almost perfectly onto the roof of the photo underneath. I’d say the colors and art style also match really well with the rest of the collage. As for the painting underneath of the home on the plain, I have American realist painter Edward Hopper to thank for that. I cut that from a book of his works.
The title of this piece came from the clipping which reads that command. I like how its among the clouds like a reminder, or just an idea if you were to look up. The funny thing about this clipping is that it was originally an ad in my 1965 Golden West magazine for a groin hernia belt. Lolz.
The kissed receipt came from my friend. We had just gone to Spirit Halloween and she used it to blot her lipstick, and I kept it like a creep. I included it in the collage and thought about the experience of a Halloween party being one of the only fun things to do around here. It also just shows how important one girl’s trash can be to another girl.
The sticky note reading “You are beautiful I love you” came from another good friend. She wrote it for me at the cafe when we worked there together. Such a simple act of love that made my day. Underneath the note is a dumb little kitten face. Now only my dear blog readers know there’s a secret kitten in this collage. Don’t tell anyone.
The girl at the table really brings it all together. What is she thinking? Why is she at grandma’s dining table with her hair so chic and her top so bold? I think the seagull and sand dunes through the window are just in her head (I forgot where I got that clipping). Her face and demeanor can be interpreted in so many ways. A few I see include “What movie should I put on tonight”, “What the hell am I doing”, or perhaps “I have got to get out of here”.
If you are reading her completely differently, or have any takes on this collage at all, comment below or email me about it (No constructive criticism pls). Thank you so much for reading my first ever blog entry. See you next time.
