A modern American master Joseph Cornell (1903-1972) is considered one of the pioneers of collage, or the art form also known as assemblage. Most of his work consist of shadow boxes with assembled objects found on the streets of New York City or bric-a-brac shops. On the streets of New York today you can see his influence and that of a number of modern and contemporary artists who pioneered the practice of gathering and assembling.

Artist Unknown. Detail. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Collage as a visual trope is a static snapshot of the images and influences that fly by our eyes daily. Dig a little deeper and it can be DNA, diary, diatribe – depending on the arranger. Easily dismissed by early 20^th century art critics as no more than crafting magic, itself a classist dismissal of creativity, collage steadily gained greater appreciation, fans, and collectors with thoughtful composition and attention to balance. One element plays against the next, or with it, creating a new whole. In fact one could argue that the entire Street Art scene itself is a collage made by a variety of participants, but these are images of the more formal sort and singular focus.

Today collage is all over the streets, another new addition that distinguishes the current generation from the recent past. Often smaller in scale and overlooked in general, a collage can captivate attention when a passerby discovers it and cause one to consider it in context. Because of the one-off nature of works in this category, it is not likely replicated, so catch it while you can.

Artist Unknown. Detail. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Lädy (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Artist Unknown (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Memo (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Pop Morte (photo © Jaime Rojo)

FKDL (photo © Jaime Rojo)

FKDL. Detail. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Artist Unknown (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Power Revolution (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Artist Unknown (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Dab (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Artist Unknown (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Cunning Linguist (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Cunning Linguist (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Artist Unknown (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Artist Unknown (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Artist Unknown (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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