Influential Collagists

Collage of vintage black and white images, various German words and phrases, historical figures, and scenes, created in a montage style.

Hannah Höch (1889-1978)

Hannah Höch's "Cut with the Dada Kitchen Knife..." (1919) is a seminal Dada work challenging societal norms. As a Dadaist and a woman, Höch defied expectations, pioneering photomontage as a tool of cultural critique, reshaping art's political potential and inspiring future generations of feminist and avant-garde artists.

Mixed media art piece in a wooden frame featuring a green parrot illustration, a small model of a brown bird, a white paper with black text, a vintage poster fragment, a white plastic device, and a small white box, all arranged to create a collage.

Joseph Cornell (1903-1972)

Joseph Cornell's "Untitled (Hotel Eden)" (1945) exemplifies his magical realm of assemblage. A pioneer of box constructions, Cornell transformed ordinary objects into poetic treasures. His surrealist boxes blend nostalgia, mystique, and meticulous craftsmanship, influencing contemporary installation and conceptual artists, challenging conventional artistic boundaries.

An artwork depicting a woman resting her head on her hand, created using arranged garbage and trash items on a tiled surface, with an outlined sketch to define features.

Vik Muniz (b. 1961)

Vik Muniz's "Pictures of Garbage" series (2008) redefines materiality in art. Muniz uses unconventional materials, often garbage, to meticulously recreate iconic images. His commitment to socio-environmental commentary through art challenges perceptions of value, prompting viewers to reconsider societal waste and its impact.

A creative collage combining a black and white portrait of a woman with pearl necklace and a color photograph of a rocky coastal archway behind her face.

John Stezaker (b. 1949)

John Stezaker's " Mask CCXXXII” 2016 epitomizes his conceptual approach to collage. By juxtaposing and dissecting found images, Stezaker creates enigmatic narratives. His exploration of image manipulation and appropriation challenges conventional notions of identity, making him a key figure in contemporary collage and conceptual art.

A collage of twelve surreal, abstract portraits combining human faces with various artistic and fantastical elements.

Wangechi Mutu (b. 1972)

Wangechi Mutu’s prints, "Histology of the Different Classes of Uterine Tumors," takes imagery from Victorian medical diagrams of cancers in female bodies, pornography, and glossy women’s magazines. Her luscious and complex arrangement of these disparate materials addresses the perpetual objectification of black female bodies. Originally created as a series of 12 collages, the figures also represented colonial power and represent a range of cultural preconceptions.

An art installation featuring numerous small, colorful, illuminated cubes and rectangles suspended in mid-air in a dark room, creating reflections and shadows on the floor and walls.

Sara Sze (b. 1969)

Install, 2022. In employing the full potential of her processes, Sze represents the ephemeral and immaterial in different time scales and durations—from light projections programmed to imply shift and to massive collage/painting works. Sze's diverse practice seamlessly merges sculptural concepts and various mediums. By intertwining physical and digital elements, she intricately shapes two and three-dimensional artworks that asks for close examination and offer a panoramic exploration of the infinite.

Navigating adeptly between mediums, Sze reflects on the modern inundation of virtual experiences, providing insights into connecting with tangible realities in physical spaces.