After studying textures and value scales, we were assigned to create two primarily black and white collages out of paper that incorporated different textural aspects (whether it was printed on the paper, or the paper had a unique form of its own). The two collages had to represent two “opposite” or contrasting landscapes (for example, a city vs. a forest, outer space vs. earth, etc.)
I first began by sketching some ideas I had for what landscapes I would present in my collage:
I eventually settled on a concept that was both intriguing and personal to me – to illustrate the two opposing viewpoints from either side of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, where I originally come from. One side of the bridge offers a view into the city, an urban landscape featuring a skyline above the ocean. The other looks into the Headlands, where national parks and nature reign supreme over the water, not skyscrapers. All that separates – and also links – these two contrasting settings is the bridge itself, which would be featured in both of my final collages, albeit from different angles.
I then set about collecting/scanning/printing some handmade textures and rubbings for my final collage:
In addition to these textures, I also used black, grey and white paper to create the various shapes in my collage. To create lighter shades of grey, I used a technique in which I overlaid tracing paper on the black or grey paper.
My final collages:
I was very happy with how my final collages came out – the negative vs. positive light concept worked out well in my final version. I think this is a fitting tribute to the place where I come from and used the space and texture well in the landscape.
