Original collage artwork – Ampersand 01

I’ve always loved the ampersand.

Maybe it’s a design thing, or just a love of typography, but it’s such a beautiful character with so many artistic possibilities.

Ampersand 01 [if you can’t guess from the title] is the first of the series of three. As I progressed, the design for each one in the series grew more complex, but this is the simplest.

But for such a “simple” design, it was very time consuming to create.

It’s a collage, created using cuttings and torn pieces of magazine pages, glued to an art canvas.

Ampersand 01 is 24 x 24 inches (60cm x 60cm) square and the design continues along the edges of the canvas.

The process

First, I search for and carefully select magazine pages and cuttings, giving me a palette to work from.

This is much harder than picking up a tube of paint.

I usually sketch the design onto the canvas, then place each cutting within the design, gluing them to the canvas. I hope to develop a looser style, but I guess my approach is born of my design background.

Using glue and paper on canvas leads to some wrinkling on the surface of the artwork. This is unavoidable due to the nature of paper when wet. The wrinkles add texture and character to the final piece, which I love, but it is worth a mention here.

Why collage?

I love the juxtaposition of complexity and simplicity it allows.

I love the idea of recycling and remixing in art. It isn’t copying, it’s creating something unique from different, existing elements.

When you stand back to view the art, your eye combines colours and smaller images on the canvas,

I love how you can notice something new, even after viewing it many times, that you’d not seen before.

When viewed at full size, on a wall, as you move for a closer look, you might discover and be surprised by elements and combinations you’d not noticed before.

I’d love to hear your thoughts

I’ve created this post because I’d love to hear your thoughts – on the artwork, the approach, maybe you share my love of ampersands?