Beyond "Cut and Paste"—A Peek at Collage

Beyond "Cut and Paste"—A Peek at Collage

LOCKPORT—Collage is more than cutting and pasting.  Learn about the distinguished history of this art form at our next Sunday series event—Perspectives On: Collage, offered Sunday, May 23^rd at the Illinois State Museum Lockport Gallery.  This presentation, led by Doug Stapleton, Assistant Curator of Art for the ISM Chicago Gallery, is part of a series of free public lectures, newly dubbed Perspectives, offered with the current exhibition On & Of Paper.  This event begins at 2:00 pm; it is free and open to the public.

Collage has a long history, beginning with the invention of paper.  Collage techniques have been practiced for centuries by craftsmen of many cultures and enjoyed as a hobby (such as Victorian photo-collage).  The technique emerged as an important component of fine art in the early twentieth century with the Cubists and continues to be a viable, exciting method of creating art from found objects, scraps, and paper. Doug Stapleton, a curator and visual artist working with collage, shares his contemporary perspective on the medium with a peek at the historic roots of and influences on collage (ie. photojournalism) and a look at collage as a viable technique of fine art practiced today, with a focus on what is going on now in Illinois.

On & Of Paper offers a selection from the Illinois State Museum collection of relief, intaglio, and planographic prints, photographs, drawings, painting, and multi-media constructions which utilize the same material:  paper.  Paper has for centuries served as a versatile, readily available, and relatively affordable material for the artist.  Paper is a core element, whether it be folded, molded, painted, torn, glued, or otherwise altered in the creation of a finished piece.  It serves as a support; its texture, weave, and color contribute significantly to the final image.  Paper plays a critical role in the creative process, too, offering a surface on which to sketch and test.  This exhibition runs through July 30.

During On & Of Paper, the Illinois State Museum Lockport Gallery will offer several free public lectures through its Perspectives series, popular Sunday events, that explore the ideas and themes related to the exhibition.  The last event is a public tour of the exhibition on Sunday, June 27.  Please call the ISM Lockport Gallery or visit our website for information.  Admission is free.

The Illinois State Museum Lockport Gallery is located on the first floor of the historic Norton Building at 201 West 10^th Street in Lockport, Illinois, and is fully accessible to all physically challenged individuals.  Museum hours are noon until 5:00 pm on Sunday and 9:00 am until 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday.  The Museum is closed Saturdays and State Holidays.  The Museum will be closed Monday, May 31 (Memorial Day).  Admission is free.  For information on exhibitions and related programs, becoming a member of the Friends of the Lockport Gallery, directions to the museum, or to schedule a group tour of ten or more, please contact museum staff at (815) 838-7400 or visit the museum online at https://www.museum.state.il.us/ismsites/lockport/.  The Illinois State Museum Lockport Gallery is part of the Illinois State Museum system, including sites in Springfield, Rend Lake, Chicago, and Lewistown.

General Information

Illinois State Museum
Founded 1877
The Illinois State Museum promotes discovery, learning, and an appreciation of Illinois' natural, cultural, and artistic heritage.
General Information: (217)782-7386
Director's Office: (217)782-7011
Interim Museum Director: Michael Wiant
Press Contact: michael.wiant@illinois.gov