Rip and Tear Collage
Collage comes from the French papiers collés which is related to “cut and paste.” This unique art form was used by many famous artists including Pablo Picasso and Henry Matisse.
It is a popular technique allowing the maker to use a variety of materials, including paper, found objects, ink, and paint all in one space. Creating a collage using ripped or torn materials can be especially fun as it allows you to go beyond the boundaries of recognizable shapes and objects, leaving your creation in the hands of chance. It might seem strange to destroy something in order to create, but sometimes that’s what art is all about: creating something new, that we have never seen before. And having fun in the process!
Both video instructions and written instructions below!
Making Your Collage
Step 1: Rip and Tear
Find the largest piece of paper and set it aside as your background paper. Choose a piece of the remaining paper that catches your eye and rip it into several smaller pieces.
Step 2: Arrange the Pieces
Arrange these pieces on your background paper and glue down. If you’re feeling a bit intimidated about this step, try sprinkling the pieces onto the background and leaving your creation completely to chance. There is no wrong way to do this as the goal is to create something new that feels right to you! Use the other pieces of paper in the same way, ripping and arranging until you get something you like.
Step 3: Add Some Found Objects
See if you can find some junk lying around, an empty envelope, an old receipt, a gum wrapper, maybe even some pocket lint. Add torn bits of your found objects to your collage.
Things to Think About:
How did it feel to rip and tear the pieces of paper? Exciting? Destructive? Did you notice yourself tearing fast or taking your time?
Do you have a favorite shape that emerged from your torn pieces? What does it remind you of? If you used any found objects with print on them, do you see any funny or unusual arrangements of words or phrases?