Rendez Vous 58 2013

Katrien De Blauwer created this collage, Rendez Vous 58, using found paper and photographic fragments. The layered composition is achieved through a subtractive process, involving tearing and careful placement. The materiality of paper is crucial here. Each layer carries its own texture and weight, from the smooth, coated surface of the black and white photographs to the rough edges of the brown card stock beneath. The process of collage itself, with its intuitive acts of cutting and pasting, imbues the work with a sense of intimacy and immediacy. The images, sourced from old magazines or books, already carry a social and cultural charge, speaking to a bygone era of print media and mass consumption. De Blauwer engages with a rich history of collage, upending traditional notions of image making. By repurposing materials, she elevates the everyday, challenging the hierarchy between high art and the ephemera of daily life.