Collage
by Hope Kroll
Artist’s Statement
Using antique books as my main source material, I have taken the images found in these books to produce my three-dimensional paper collages. Either the book covers, or the antique blank paper found in old books serve as the canvas upon which I construct these intricately cut-out assemblages.
Culled from a wide range of sources, my visual lexicon is composed of diverse images gleaned from old encyclopedias, medical texts, children’s books, popular science, technical manuals, paper dolls and antique photographs to name a few.
Because of the high quality of the color plates and lithography found in the actual printings I prefer to use only the original found materials. The old books and photographs are especially compelling as they each possess their own unique history, having passed through many hands before coming into my possession. The aged paper also offers a beautiful natural patina and muted palette that I find particularly attractive.
In many cases, I will make use of archival form core to lift elements of my work off the page. I find that the three-dimensional effect lends additional visual drama to these mis en scene pieces and additionally serves to showcase the highly meticulous nature of my cuttings.
Birds are a repeated theme throughout my work, often representing spiritual messengers, while my machines tend to reflect my own inner turmoil and conflict particularly in dealing with the outside world. My use of small children generally expresses more of a personal narrative, hailing back to early childhood fears and nightmares. The fact that much of my imagery is generally quite small allows me to add a wealth of subtle, intricate details.
The titles of my works are often of particular importance adding context and helping the viewer to create their own inner dialogue. As with reading a book, each piece becomes its own frozen drama or illustration for a story reflecting a visual manifestation of psychological, emotional or spiritual states.
“In the Forest”
(hand cut paper collage, three dimensional 24” x 17”)
“Battling your Nerves”
(hand cut paper collage, three dimensional 9” x 6”)
“The Immortal Soul of Letters”
(hand cut paper collage, three dimensional 13” x 19 ½”)
“Technique of Repression”
(hand cut paper collage, three dimensional 7 ¼” x 9 ½”)
“I Am My Own Twin”
(hand cut paper collage, three dimensional 7” x 10”)
Hope Kroll is online at Hope Kroll — Collagiste.
